Where do I want to live? Best places to raise my kid:)

[Guest anothermom]

We're all screwed with common core if we put our children in ANY public school in the US, and now so many private schools too.

[Korrale]

I hardly think common Core would be an issue as the OPs daughter surely has surpassed all the benchmarks. So it is completely irrelevant.

[Kerileanne99]

This is sooo important! There is never a guarantee that anywhere will have lots of programs for gifted kids that are a good fit for every gifted child.

There is so much to consider...

 

To anyone pondering a move:

 

Remember that many professionals with gifted children will have their children enrolled in private schools or public magnet schools - especially in the high school years. If you are looking for gifted homeschooling options for enrichment, socializing, etc., be sure you are looking carefully and know what you are getting into before moving. Having a large academic/professional population doesn't guarantee a good fit for every gifted child! Those communities vary as much as other communities. :)

 

Also, don't go by Facebook or other internet advertising! Or fancy brochures and the like... (That probably goes without saying, but we were pretty shocked by the reality of what we found.)

 

Before moving, I would suggest multiple trips to the area - trips that don't include lots of tourist activities. Instead, you do the kind of activities you will be moving to do. Attend classes, homeschool social activities, extracurricular sports - whatever it is you are hoping to find.

 

Time and money spent on research could save lots of time, money, and tears later on.

 

Even with all of our preparation we had some rude awakenings. Thankfully, on balance, we made the right choice and have no regrets. On the other hand, we have friends who landed in other areas after much less research. A few ended up unhappy and stuck, others moved again quickly. One can always bloom where planted, but it's preferable to be in fertile soil....

Excellent advice. In so many of the places we have looked there are gifted programs touted and raved about...but when you look into them they are much more run-of-the mill pull out programs.

 

And we are most definitely planning on homeschooling. Really, there is no other option at the moment. It would be completely unrealistic to expect ANY school to meet her needs. At this point in time, where she is academically, socially, and emotionally are all so divergent that *I* find it a daily struggle to keep up. If anything, I think she comes across as a bit younger emotionally that her same-age classmates due to intensities and her ability to switch from being utterly absorbed by something to bouncing off the walls.

 

Homeschooling her gives us the luxury of chasing rabbit trails when she wants, speeding up or slowing down, doing various curricula and supplements, and so much more. I just would like to have the option to outsource some of it, to be in a location where she will have opportunities and possibilities.

[Cera]

If she tests high enough for Davidson I would consider Reno.  I wouldn't make that move without the test results in hand though.  If she does not test well enough for that I would consider mid atlantic east coast.  There are quite a few programs for PG kids at colleges along this coast and Mary Baldwin is a great option if you want to consider a college experience starting at middle school age (because it is geared to PG kids and can support them properly in an environment that does take into account their emotional age and need for peers).

[Spring Flower]

 

Remember that many professionals with gifted children will have their children enrolled in private schools or public magnet schools - especially in the high school years. If you are looking for gifted homeschooling options for enrichment, socializing, etc., be sure you are looking carefully and know what you are getting into before moving. Having a large academic/professional population doesn't guarantee a good fit for every gifted child! Those communities vary as much as other communities. :)

 

 

 

This describes our area well. We have several private gifted schools in our area. Most professionals send their kids there. In an act of desperation, I emailed one school about possibly enrolling my 2e DS and they told me flat out that it would be a bad fit. 

[Kerileanne99]

This describes our area well. We have several private gifted schools in our area. Most professionals send their kids there. In an act of desperation, I emailed one school about possibly enrolling my 2e DS and they told me flat out that it would be a bad fit.

Our current area as well. We live in a Uni town and there are lots of private schools for kids advertising 'advanced curriculum' and 'gifted opportunities.' Anyone who does not fit into the bright, teacher-pleasing role is not in the best position to excel at them.

The coops tend to be the same.

[Kerileanne99]

If she tests high enough for Davidson I would consider Reno. I wouldn't make that move without the test results in hand though. If she does not test well enough for that I would consider mid atlantic east coast. There are quite a few programs for PG kids at colleges along this coast and Mary Baldwin is a great option if you want to consider a college experience starting at middle school age (because it is geared to PG kids and can support them properly in an environment that does take into account their emotional age and need for peers).

She did test high enough. But as she is just turning five I worry that it may/may not be a good fit later. And whilst I sure there are lots of opportunities for groups with younger siblings of Davidson out there, as well as support, camps, etc., I am just not sure there is much ELSE in Reno for us.

It is still near the top of our list, but I would need to make some visits and asks round a bit before we would consider it.

[Momof3littles]

The Triangle of NC might be good (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill). There is the NC School of Science and Mathematics as an option for high schoolers.  It is possible to get a small town feel with access to the arts (museums, performances, groups like Paperhand Puppetshow that welcome community involvement including from HSers).  Chapel Hill has a planetarium.  Duke has classes via TIP, so camps, etc. would be convenient and accessible.  Davidson isn't tremendously far away either.

 

Philly has Talking Stick Learning Center, which includes things like math circles, although I have no personal experience.  Philly has many universities, museums, etc. some of which offer camps like archeology camp, etc. 

http://talkingsticklearningcenter.org/

 

While navigating PS can be a challenge, PA does have gifted IEPs, so that's at least one thing to consider.  PS with an gIEP wouldn't be optimal, but at least is an option.

 

 

[Jackie]

This is sooo important! There is never a guarantee that anywhere will have lots of programs for gifted kids that are a good fit for every gifted child.

There is so much to consider...

 

To anyone pondering a move:

 

Remember that many professionals with gifted children will have their children enrolled in private schools or public magnet schools - especially in the high school years. If you are looking for gifted homeschooling options for enrichment, socializing, etc., be sure you are looking carefully and know what you are getting into before moving. Having a large academic/professional population doesn't guarantee a good fit for every gifted child! Those communities vary as much as other communities. :)

 

Great advice.

 

We're still exploring options for where to go when we move in a few years. We almost moved to an area recommended multiple times on this thread, but with further consideration, it did not offer what we were looking for. Another area mentioned on this thread is where we currently live and we know we will have to be elsewhere for good opportunities for us. That doesn't mean these aren't great areas - what works for one family/child doesn't always work for another.

 

I'm glad our planned move this past spring didn't happen. Where we are now fits us fine at this point in our lives. The extra few years will allow us more research time. Also, with a few more years, DD will continue to grow and develop and we may have more of a clue what specific types of opportunities would fit her.

[ocelotmom]

She did test high enough. But as she is just turning five I worry that it may/may not be a good fit later. And whilst I sure there are lots of opportunities for groups with younger siblings of Davidson out there, as well as support, camps, etc., I am just not sure there is much ELSE in Reno for us.

It is still near the top of our list, but I would need to make some visits and asks round a bit before we would consider it.

 

(Oops, grabby baby submitted the post while I was typing...)

 

I can tell you there's a strong homeschooling community in Reno, both religious and secular. Nevada is a very easy state for homeschooling, so it's relatively common.

[Tsuga]

It is becoming patently obvious that we are going to need to move. There are just not many (if that!) options for Alex locally with her enthusiasm for learning, achievement level, and interests. I have a feeling that this will most likely be a problem wherever we go with a PG kiddo who is extremly opinionated and stubborn, but I KNOW we can do better than this for her! She has been attending a Montessori preschool 3 mornings a week and I can honestly say it had been a flop...other than the fact that she is interacting with kids and I am getting a bit of much-needed rest. She reads a lot and draws a lot. I had to intervene as they actually put my child in time out because she 'won't go play with the kids' and insists on chatting to the teachers.

 

Hubby is always on the lookout for jobs at other universities, even if t means a pay cut. We are even at the point where we would consider simply moving and continuing to look for a job for him, although I cant believe we would be that reckless when she is still so young (5 in Dec!) We will be homeschooling her, but it would be nice to at least have the option of a school or collection of activities as a backup plan.

 

So, if you could choose just about anywhere to live in this situation, where would it be? Bonus points for plenty of math-oriented activities, circles, groups with plenty of room to grow!

 

Where do you live now?

 

I live in the Puget Sound region and I could put my children in an engineering, Lego or math club every day of the week if I wanted. Actually--my menu of choices would probably include at least two STEM clubs three days per week if I wanted (we don't, don't worry!!!). We have girls-only engineering camps, Aerospace camp, art camp... etc. Public schools are great, though not perfect. There are two gifted schools here so if she tests for Davidson's then she could get in there (one is The Evergreen School). If I could afford it I'd send my own kid there. I hear it's magnificent.

 

Traffic is horrible. It is gray all the time. If you can't deal with that, don't move here.

 

But we love the weather and for our family, it's worth it.

[Butler]

After having raised and educated kids up to college, and having lived in several states and countries, my advice would be to not move your family for the sake of your five year old. You don't know who she will be and what she will need in ten years, five years or even next year. I have had my kids in school situations that I had thought would be perfect and they were disasters. I have had them in school situations that I thought would end up awful that turned out wonderfully. Over the years I have found they we have, in everyplace we lived, been able to find things that worked. We found most of the things that worked as "insiders". There were many opportunities that I would not have known existed if I had been researching the area from the outside.

 

I think the entire family's needs, most importantly employment and financial considerations, are paramount. It doesn't matter if you live in a place brimming with opportunities if you can't afford them. I think it also places a lot of pressure on a child if the entire family is uprooted for the needs of one. At five she may not feel it, but at 10 she probably will.

[FairProspects]

Where do you live now?

 

I live in the Puget Sound region and I could put my children in an engineering, Lego or math club every day of the week if I wanted. Actually--my menu of choices would probably include at least two STEM clubs three days per week if I wanted (we don't, don't worry!!!). We have girls-only engineering camps, Aerospace camp, art camp... etc. Public schools are great, though not perfect. There are two gifted schools here so if she tests for Davidson's then she could get in there (one is The Evergreen School). If I could afford it I'd send my own kid there. I hear it's magnificent.

 

Traffic is horrible. It is gray all the time. If you can't deal with that, don't move here.

 

But we love the weather and for our family, it's worth it.

 

Yes, but from inside sources, the gifted schools around here are not all they are cracked up to be. I don't know about this one in particular, but I'd say do your due diligence with any school, no matter what they claim.

[Tsuga]

FP, my experience with the Evergreen School is based on knowledge through friends with gifted children. They are quite happy, though their children are only IQ 145-160, nothing like some kids I read about on the Internet.

 

Regarding the public schools, they are public schools. They will first serve the neediest and the largest number of children.

 

I have never met a parent of a profoundly gifted child who was happy with public school. If you have ever seen any thread on the Internet or heard anyone in real life who has a child with an IQ of 145+ who felt that their child's needs were met adequately in public school, and I mean this in all seriousness, please send it to me. I'm dying to know what that looks like.

 

I have read thousands of complaints about inadequate individualized instruction. As someone working in education and in the public sector, all I can say is, you get what you pay for. If it were up to me that would be on top of every last voting booth in the country.

 

So provided OP realizes what public education's limits are, she should really appreciate it here. If she's looking for a home-school student-curriculum ratio in the public school, she's in for a life of pain and frustration, because that's not going to happen for anyone but the most disadvantaged children.

[quark]

We moved from a place where everything was available to a place where nothing (that most homeschoolers crave) was and it was probably the best thing we ever did while it lasted (and worked). Kiddo was just under 7 at the time we moved and the lack of all the external stimulus actually worked very much in his favor. We weren't rushing everywhere, we weren't spending tons of money just for social reasons (because academically no class that we could afford could come close), we weren't stressed out every minute of the day due to traffic or not getting to a class on time. He could wear his shoes in his own time (wearing shoes takes him a loooong time!). We just didn't do that many outside B&M classes and the distance from anywhere exciting made us much more careful about choosing what was valuable and what was not. We had the beautiful luxury of time. It was fabulous. It was especially helpful when kiddo learned to write proofs because with his need to think and his need to be perfect and yet his inability to write fast, it would have been crazy to expect him to do proof-based geometry within a rushed lifestyle. We also discovered who our true friends were, who cared enough to visit us (because most of these friends lived where everything was available and would have had to drive an hour to come to our home). And it gave me a chance to put all the craziness of who-is-doing-what-class so kiddo could have the same opportunity completely aside and focus on helping him develop genuine, deep interests.

 

I felt isolated at first and he probably did too. He is an only child and loves playdates. But due to our move, our circle of friends dwindled to about 1/2 the already small amount. I had to work harder to get him to playdates. But slowly we fell into a do-able routine. Due to the lack of distractions, we could focus on really learning to learn. He developed awesome learning habits and made some great relationships with the (much) older people we grew close to. He found a fantastic music teacher (the hidden kind that you only find in some small cities where due to lack of other resources, people get together out of a genuinely pressing need to follow their passions and also encourage any young 'uns who have the same passions and at the same time don't charge you an arm and a leg to teach them). We had the ability to blast home made rockets off into the great wide blue sky (because there weren't other buildings too close by). We could build to our heart's content because the lower home price meant we could afford a much larger house and had lots of room and could splurge on science and building supplies.

 

Then...he grew up. And it became obvious that he needed more people around him and needed to access a proper college environment. So we've now moved back to a busier city with a smaller home but really close to his college. It's lovely that I don't have to drive hours now to get to places but I do miss that more carefree, traffic-less environment we lived in for 5 years.

 

Kiddo more than makes the cut for DA IQ and SAT-wise, but we have heard all sorts of stories from other parents that I don't know if he will fit in there (on top of also moving/ finding work for the hubby) so we haven't really thought to look at Reno more seriously. As wonderful as DA sounds, most stories I've heard revolve around how it still doesn't fit the more wildly asynchronous PG children. I don't meant to discourage anyone. Just mentioning some opinions I've come to based on gut feel for my own child.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Quark's path sounds so familiar! Ours was a similar dance of town to country to city...

 

Each stage of life brought different needs for our daughter... I'm glad we put on our dancing shoes!