What is your biggest challenge in teaching your bright children?

[TKDmom]

And how have you dealt with them?

 

I'm not even sure I can pinpoint what my biggest challenge with my dd is. But it rears its ugly head when we are trying to do math. Her interests lie in the direction of art, music, and language. When I try to do math with her she becomes stubborn, perfectionistic ("I'm not good at this and I hate it and I'm never going to do it again!!"), and easily distracted. :banghead:

 

It's almost surreal for me. We're so similar personality-wise. I can always pinpoint her motivations for her odd behaviors, because she's so similar to me. But I always loved math. I did math workbooks and logic puzzles for fun. I can't figure out where this part of her came from....

 

I'm still feeling around in the dark trying to figure out how to deal with the perfectionism and stubbornness during our day. From both of us. ;) We butt heads way too often.

[Storm Bay]

I modify what I'm doing or how I'm doing it. I find that what works best many times is letting my dc have some say in what we use for each subject. That doesn't mean that they get do choose anything they want from the vast array of choices, however.

 

My artistic eldest vehemently loathed arithmetic with a passion, regardless of what she used and she is gifted in math. She insisted on teaching herself, which I allowed, but it was often a fight to get her to do math. I had her do little review, since she had a mind like a stainless steel trap for all things arithmetic At 15 she is planning to major in math or genetics/biochem. The turn around started with Algebra 1, particularly when I had her redo it at 13 with a text she chose from my choices. She loved Geometry and is eager to get to Calculus. Sure, she could have been here sooner, since she was ready for Algebra by 11 (probably could have been sooner if she hadn't hated it so much!) but she's doing it now when she likes it.

 

Had I known about these sooner (if they was out yet) I'd have bought the murderous maths books, bought LOF and even Hands on Equations (I dont own the last one.)

 

What are you using for math and what have you tried? My second one is much more visual spatial than my eldest and very artistically talented, and I haven't even touched on what I did with her yet.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Karin

[MaMa2005]

The two biggest challenges:

 

a. trying to stay ahead of DS - I think I am teaching him new things and then he takes the information and elaborates on it from his knowledge base. Very unnerving :001_huh:

 

b. having to drop back to the beginning of something so that he can learn the basics. Last year, DS moved so quickly through reading and math that I didn't have time to make sure his math facts were truly memorized or that he had the LA skills to match his reading level. He HATES when we have to backtrack as so often he views the work as babyish.

 

If everything goes as planned, he will have made up his deficits by the end of May. So far, this school year has gone amazing well and we are at the 90 day mark. Please let the next 90 days go as well.

[patchfire]

My biggest challenge is challenge. Seriously, I just blogged about this earlier in the week! Hitting that sweet spot of just-hard-enough, because if it's too easy, the result is boredom, and if it's too hard, the result is frustration and, often, tears. Of course, there are things I want them to do that are "easy" - reading easier books develops fluency, reviewing basic math keeps it fresh, etc. And, of course, on occasion, I want to give them something "too hard," to make their brains really stretch. On a day to day basis, though, I want 70-90% of their work to the be sweet spot, and hitting that is HARD. And that's assuming they're being honest with me (Ds has been able to read for some undetermined amount of time, and been hiding it from us deliberately. He wanted to wait until he was eight or ten to tell us - he's five now.)!

 

So, yes, finding an appropriate level of difficulty across all subjects, especially given that dd's strengths, especially, are not evenly distributed across disciplines... eek!

[Mandy in TN]

Math- I try not to plan math too much. I certainly don't schedule it, but I do like to have an idea of what we are going to do next. Anyway, it kind of makes me batty when ds sabotages my what-we-are-doing-next plans.

 

And I blogged about that this week.:D

Mandy

[Cera]

Keeping things age appropriate. My oldest is 6. She can read anything and will. It can be very hard to find materials, especially literature/history, that are challenging and engaging without being developmentally inappropriate.

[LisaKinVA]

So far, I've only really encountered this with my oldest son -- but it's keeping up with his changing needs. A curriculum will "work great" for a couple of years, and then it seems we have to reinvent the wheel.

 

It's also trying to balance his needs vs. my needs.

 

I only talk about this one, because comparatively, the other two have been a piece of cake. Of course, my little girl starts K next year -- she may be a challenge.

[MissKNG]

My biggest challenge is being a "regular joe" trying to work with a bright student. I have a hard time dealing with how fast she can learn especially when she makes leaps and bounds in such a short time.

[Dinsfamily]

My biggest challenge is challenge. Seriously, I just blogged about this earlier in the week! Hitting that sweet spot of just-hard-enough, because if it's too easy, the result is boredom, and if it's too hard, the result is frustration and, often, tears. Of course, there are things I want them to do that are "easy" - reading easier books develops fluency, reviewing basic math keeps it fresh, etc. And, of course, on occasion, I want to give them something "too hard," to make their brains really stretch. On a day to day basis, though, I want 70-90% of their work to the be sweet spot, and hitting that is HARD. And that's assuming they're being honest with me (Ds has been able to read for some undetermined amount of time, and been hiding it from us deliberately. He wanted to wait until he was eight or ten to tell us - he's five now.)!

 

So, yes, finding an appropriate level of difficulty across all subjects, especially given that dd's strengths, especially, are not evenly distributed across disciplines... eek!

 

The bolded is especially my problem. I've struggled with this for the last two years with my oldest. He doesn't get frustrated easily but does get bored. When he gets bored, he'll either have behavior issues or just shut down. The problem is that work goes from challenging to boring quickly. He picks up on concepts and is able to apply them faster than I anticipate and I'm trying to ensure he doesn't have gaps.

 

I think my middle ds is going to present different issues. He's my osmosis learner so he learns easily and efficiently but I suspect at he won't like direct methods much. Complete opposite of my oldest. It should be interesting next year when I'm schooling both.

[MissKNG]

The bolded is especially my problem. I've struggled with this for the last two years with my oldest. He doesn't get frustrated easily but does get bored. When he gets bored, he'll either have behavior issues or just shut down. The problem is that work goes from challenging to boring quickly. He picks up on concepts and is able to apply them faster than I anticipate and I'm trying to ensure he doesn't have gaps.

 

.

 

Wow, sounds exactly like my big girl! That's why I have a hard time because I can't "do" what she does.

[Crimson Wife]

Hitting that sweet spot of just-hard-enough, because if it's too easy, the result is boredom, and if it's too hard, the result is frustration and, often, tears...finding an appropriate level of difficulty across all subjects, especially given that dd's strengths, especially, are not evenly distributed across disciplines... eek!

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

Other frustrations: finally finding something that works only to have her finish it or make some huge cognitive leap partway through, sending me back to the drawing board :glare:

[zaichiki]

The hardest part for me is getting used to the rise/run staircase-like way they learn. When they start that incline I get nervous and doubtful, and just when I get used to the steep climb they get into that holding pattern. Now I'm wondering what's up/why are they not continuing the steep climb. Is there something more I could/should be doing? And just when I get calm about THAT there's another huge leap. I feel like I just can't keep up (emotionally).

 

Then there's THEIR emotions. The drama! I can't take it. Seriously.

 

And the energy level/focus in their areas of interest can be a bit much sometimes. Sometimes I like it (takes almost no involvement from me and yet they learn so much!), but it can be a bear to get them to transition to any other activity. ("Hey! You over there. Kid in the blue shirt. I'm talking to you. **jumping and waving** Chocolate! Ice cream! Library!")

[Karenciavo]

My oldest is gifted in language/literature. Around age 13 or 14 I realized he gets it far deeper than I do so I sought outside literature/philosophy discussion groups for him. This has worked well for him, but I miss our weekly socratic discussion. I read some of what he's reading and we talk, but it's not the same.

 

Ds15 is the classic bright kid underachiever. Very frustrating. His gifts lie in the area of math and my biggest struggle with him is getting him to work at his level. Everything came easy to him most of his life and so he wants everything to be easy.

 

Ds8 is probably my most accelerated child. Taught himself to read at age 3, has a memory like an elephant (I guess :lol:), understands math concepts beyond his years. So far my biggest struggles with him are balancing knowledge and depth and, I don't even know how to say this, socialization (forgive me :lol:). He's much younger than his brothers so he doesn't have the influence of siblings close in age and he talks like a little man which somewhat alienates him from other children and he can be bossy. I had a little of this with ds17, most third graders don't want to discuss theology like he did, but at least he had his brother and eventually, after years of praying, God provided a friend he could relate to. But ds17 was able to recognize the social cues that say, "Stop talking now and play ball," ds8 doesn't get that and so it sometimes leads to unkind behavior from other children. I want my ds to be himself of course, but I also want to equip him to adjust socially as needed. Do you know what I mean?

[galtgrl]

my most accelerated child. Taught himself to read at age 3, has a memory like an elephant (I guess :lol:), understands math concepts beyond his years. So far my biggest struggles with him are balancing knowledge and depth and, I don't even know how to say this, socialization

 

 

We had similar issues with our DD13 when she was little. We had to *gently* tell her that although she could discuss anything she wanted to with us, many of the children around her just weren't interested in thinking/talking about the same kinds of things she was.

It was hard on her at the younger ages - she talked non-stop at those ages as well :tongue_smilie: - but she learned to save the more in-depth discussions/questions for us. Exhausting sometimes, but VERY important for her!

She also learned to keep some knowledge to herself, b/c she could appear bossy to others (really, she was just trying to help them know the "right" way to do things :lol:).

 

Our DD14 was an extreme perfectionist in the early years...would frustrate herself to tears about math.

She wanted to learn it herself, and resisted even the slightest attempt at help from me.

She is now my great teenage procrastinator :lol:.

[HeidiD]

I'm still feeling around in the dark trying to figure out how to deal with the perfectionism and stubbornness during our day. From both of us. ;) We butt heads way too often.

 

 

I've been using individual plan books to limit the head butting with my elementary-aged kids. The work they don't complete and check off during school hours gets done at night with their dad. This is happening less and less. :)

 

I also do some one-on-one tutoring with them (math, for instance) and the head butting has been drastically reduced since I started limiting the work in advance, contingent on them getting a certain number of questions correctly answered, or perhaps announcing, "we'll only work on this for half an hour, or do two pages (or whatever), provided you give it your best effort." This has gone a long way towards limiting the histrionics. :001_smile:

 

One of my kids HATES to be taught by anyone else and thinks that everything should either be grasped instantaneously or else it's "too hard", and this approach has been particularly beneficial in handling him.

[TKDmom]

Had I known about these sooner (if they was out yet) I'd have bought the murderous maths books, bought LOF and even Hands on Equations (I dont own the last one.)

 

What are you using for math and what have you tried? My second one is much more visual spatial than my eldest and very artistically talented, and I haven't even touched on what I did with her yet.

 

I've pretty much only used Singapore with her. We spent a month using Miquon when she was struggling with the long division in SM, and we occasionally do problems out of Zaccaro's Challenge Math. She complains that Singapore goes too slow and that there's too much review. But at the same time, she doesn't have her math facts memorized, and she works through math so sl-o-w-ly. I know I'm missing something here. She's just finishing off 3B. I told her we would start working on LoF when we start 4A, and I'm looking forward to that bringing in a little more fun in our math.

 

I've been using individual plan books to limit the head butting with my elementary-aged kids. The work they don't complete and check off during school hours gets done at night with their dad. This is happening less and less. :)

 

Can you tell me more about this? Is it like a checklist of what they have to do each day?

 

We use a pseudo-workbox system to limit me telling them what to do through out the day, but dd often gets distracted and "forgets" to do anything beyond about drawer 6 or 7 (out of 10).

 

One of my kids HATES to be taught by anyone else and thinks that everything should either be grasped instantaneously or else it's "too hard", and this approach has been particularly beneficial in handling him.

 

Ha! That's my dd. Every little speed bump means that it is too hard, or she's too dumb.

[2smartones]

Ditto to pretty much everything above.

 

I think the biggest challenge for me is that we don't have a cruise control. We have slow and fast, and I'm not given any warning when we switch between the two.

 

Another biggie is prep time. If we were cruising along at a normal pace, I'd have no problem prepping what I plan to do. When we suddenly jump to lightning speed, though, I can't keep up. If it's a subject I know well, I can wing it. If it's one I don't know well (like history or Latin), I get very frustrated that I'm behind, and then they get frustrated because mommy doesn't know what she's doing. :toetap05:

[TKDmom]

So, yes, finding an appropriate level of difficulty across all subjects, especially given that dd's strengths, especially, are not evenly distributed across disciplines... eek!

 

I have been trying to thing of what my biggest struggle with my older ds is, and I think this is it. LA with him is tough for me. He hates FLL 2 (too easy), but I'm reluctant to move him up to a 3rd grade LA program when his writing skills are so poor (plus, he's still officially in 1st grade). I was planning on starting with MCT Island when he turns 8, but I can see how much harder Town level is, and I don't want him trying to that when he's still in "3rd grade". I can foresee having to do some curriculum hopping with his LA....

 

And in the same vein, I have a hard time trying to figure out where he is in reading. He deciding to start working on the SL 3 readers--he likes them, and he seems to understand them.... But we're only halfway through OPGTR, and when I hear him read out loud I suspect that he's guessing too many words. All this asynchronous development really keeps me off balance.

[LittleIzumi]

My own frustration when suddenly they don't "get" something that seems obvious. :o I'm so used to them just grasping things instantly, and I do that myself too, so when there's a sudden brickwall on something simple I have to work hard to not act super frustrated or mad that they aren't thinking about it properly. Bad mommy.

[Dmmetler]

Am I allowed to say "All of the above?" Or pretty darned near close to it, anyway?

 

No solutions, but it's nice to hear others have the same problems!

[Storm Bay]

She complains that Singapore goes too slow and that there's too much review. But at the same time, she doesn't have her math facts memorized, and she works through math so sl-o-w-ly. I know I'm missing something here. She's just finishing off 3B. I told her we would start working on LoF when we start 4A, and I'm looking forward to that bringing in a little more fun in our math.

 

 

My dc learn their facts by doing math, not by rote drill, and so I just let them move on otherwise as it sounds like you'r doing.. Ds is actually resistant to learning his mulitplication facts and insists on skip counting, but he's been learning them in spite of himself (I catch him knowing the answers, but say nothing.)

 

LOF as an incentive sounds like a good plan.

[HeidiD]

Can you tell me more about this? Is it like a checklist of what they have to do each day?

 

We use a pseudo-workbox system to limit me telling them what to do through out the day, but dd often gets distracted and "forgets" to do anything beyond about drawer 6 or 7 (out of 10).

 

 

They each have one of these:

 

http://www.creativecommunications.com/product/ZSA/

 

Here's a secular planbook with a similar layout:

 

http://www.nestlearning.com/home-schoolers-journal_p93214.aspx

 

 

I fill the assignments out a week in advance, and write "with Mama" in the boxes for the subjects we'll do together that particular week. They're responsible for the individual work, which is all laid out, so they can't pretend they forgot about it (as they sometimes used to do). :001_smile:

[Crimson Wife]

I have been trying to thing of what my biggest struggle with my older ds is, and I think this is it. LA with him is tough for me. He hates FLL 2 (too easy), but I'm reluctant to move him up to a 3rd grade LA program when his writing skills are so poor (plus, he's still officially in 1st grade). I was planning on starting with MCT Island when he turns 8, but I can see how much harder Town level is, and I don't want him trying to that when he's still in "3rd grade". I can foresee having to do some curriculum hopping with his LA....

 

The Killgallon "Sentence Composing" series is an excellent choice to alternate in between the levels of MCT. My DD has finished MCT "town" but isn't yet ready for the writing in "voyage" so next semester we're going to be doing Killgallon's Grammar for Middle School.

[Laura Corin]

Most difficult for me was getting the right level: Calvin was happy to coast, so it was easy to leave him unchallenged by accident; Hobbes is a perfectionist and had to learn slowly to work hard and fail on the way to success.

 

Laura

[mktkcb]

laziness and lack of humility/teachability. Smart kids walk this fine line between craving challenge/complexity, and not wanting to work hard at having to learn something that is actually at their challenge level. So we go back and forth between "This is stupid!!!!" and "This is too hard!!!" frequently LOL. Stupid because he knows it's a process that, while important to know how to do, has little to do with the comprehension of the thing. Writing down steps in algebra. Using neat penmanship in grammar. etc. Hard because it is tedious and requires concentrating on something he thinks is of no consequence. OR, hard because it is genuinely hard, and he wants to "get it" quickly. We also struggle with lack of humility and teachability. He doesn't want to listen to me explain the lesson, he just wants to get it done. "I already know it!!" (when you know he doesn't, he just doesn't want to sit and listen/be attentive). Bottom line....even though my kid is smart/gifted, I still put more importance on him learning to work hard and be teachable than I do on how smart he is. Smarts and gifts are a dime a dozen. Good character is what will get you successfully through life.

[Kuovonne]

For my older DD, my biggest challenge is remembering that she's still only seven years old. I keep forgetting that she is advanced for her age, instead of seeing only where she could improve.

 

I have to constantly remind myself that other kids her age don't do so much and it is okay to give her a break. I need to stop frowning when she picks up her sister's easy readers in her free time. I need to praise her for writing a paragraph with everything correctly spelled and punctuated, even though it's a lousy paragraph. I need to admire that her poem has alliteration, rhymes, and makes sense, and let go of the fact that the meter is non-existant.

 

For my younger DD, my biggest challenge is letting go of the fact she's still only four years. She is my baby and I don't want to do school with her, but she insists on spelling and math lessons.

[LittleIzumi]

It does make fighting interesting. Instead of "she's touching me" we just had "she's blocking my veins!!!" :lol::lol:

[Donna]

As a planner, my biggest challenge is not being able to plan. I am one of those people who feels most comfortable knowing what is going to happen tomorrow or the day after. I like order.

 

When I was pregnant with my first and treating an elderly man who told me I would never be able to plan with kids, then my first came 6 weeks early with no prior warning, I should have had a clue.

 

Now I have a child who is not a sequential learner. She learns entire concepts then I have to help her go back find and fill in the details. It is a lot more work than just going very quickly in order like I did for her brothers. The uncertainty bothers me...am I doing the best I can for her, am I making the right choices...sometimes the worrier in me takes over.

 

It is fun though when I teach her something new (I love when I find something new to teach her...a challenge in and of itself) to see her add it to her store of knowledge connecting it to things she already knows then extrapolating. She's best at auditory learning so she talks through everything...it's like listening to a computer work.

 

I had to learn to go with the flow, be willing to modify anything and everything we do, and willing to give up on something that isn't working.

[Storm Bay]

This is SO dd. I have to find her materials that don't need a teacher very much. She wants to do it herself. If I could just get her to actually read the Singapore Text book it might be easier, but she runs off with the just the workbook and then complains that she can't do it. :001_huh: Really, reading the explanation might be helpful!

 

The hardest thing is the drama though. Everything is SO emotional. Drama, drama, drama and talk, talk, talk. The girl will never be quiet!

:D Mine find it quite exasperating on the days when they need the textbook.

It does make fighting interesting. Instead of "she's touching me" we just had "she's blocking my veins!!!" :lol::lol:

 

 

I'm glad that my dc aren't the only ones who use lines along these lines! I don't remember if we've had that exact one or not, though.

[AnitaMcC]

And how have you dealt with them?

 

 

My biggest challenge in teaching my bright children varies by child:

 

Ds#1 is border line genius but can't get anything done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The challenge with him is finding what he needs and how to meet those needs. He takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r in getting an assignment done. What I expect should be done in 45 minutes takes him 8 hours and he often still doesn't get it done. End of 8th grade he tested into freshman level college courses (waiving the high school level courses for prerequisites). But the kid can't get even the most simple assignments in the courses he already tested out of done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For example: Even though he tested into precalculus at the end of 8th grade, we wanted him to "complete" algebra 2 and geometry as a review type to just make sure he doesn't have huge gaps. We didn't require him to do every lesson and assignment... he only had to take chapter quizzes and exams!!!! And he still took a full school year to get the algebra 2 completed. He loves science, but he still can't get the work completed in a timely fashion (he is on chapter 5 of chemistry instead of chapter 9 where he is "supposed" to be).

 

Dd is very talented and bright and is capable of much more academically, but she doesn't have academic aspirations. For me the challenge is knowing when I can let her take the easier path in getting her academics done without shirking her education. She works very very hard in her areas of interest and the rest she works hard to just get it done. She wants to do well and so she does. But often she wants it "easier". She does not want or need AP courses, even though she could succeed at them (but then it would take much more time and effort from her and that would take away time and effort from her music and martial arts), so she is not doing the path of AP level work. We have decided to not force her do more than 3 yrs of math and science in high school. She is doing more in music electives, language arts, and social studies instead.

 

So the challenges we face or dependent upon the student and it is driving me crazy!!!! LOL.

 

[AnitaMcC]

laziness and lack of humility/teachability. Smart kids walk this fine line between craving challenge/complexity, and not wanting to work hard at having to learn something that is actually at their challenge level. So we go back and forth between "This is stupid!!!!" and "This is too hard!!!" frequently LOL. Stupid because he knows it's a process that, while important to know how to do, has little to do with the comprehension of the thing. Writing down steps in algebra. Using neat penmanship in grammar. etc. Hard because it is tedious and requires concentrating on something he thinks is of no consequence. OR, hard because it is genuinely hard, and he wants to "get it" quickly. We also struggle with lack of humility and teachability. He doesn't want to listen to me explain the lesson, he just wants to get it done. "I already know it!!" (when you know he doesn't, he just doesn't want to sit and listen/be attentive). Bottom line....even though my kid is smart/gifted, I still put more importance on him learning to work hard and be teachable than I do on how smart he is. Smarts and gifts are a dime a dozen. Good character is what will get you successfully through life.

 

This is my Ds#1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He growls at me all the time when I am trying to help him. He keeps saying he knows how... but then he doesn't get it done!!!!!! He hates the process of getting it done. He just wants to be done.

[zaichiki]

Dd is very talented and bright and is capable of much more academically, but she doesn't have academic aspirations.

 

 

 

This is my dd, though she is very young. If given a choice between *any* of her academic subjects and her viola practice, she'll choose the viola. She's capable of more than I request of her in math, science, and history. We are remediating dyslexia, so I tend to be rather laid back about expectations in language arts.

 

She says (with much enthusiasm) that she wants to be a composer when she grows up. Easing off on academic high school requirements to allow more time for her music is going to be hard for me, but if music is still her goal for a profession as she gets older, I'm going to have to figure out how to do that. I guess I'll have to get my academic ya-yas out with my oldest. :D

 

Someone once asked dd what her favorite subject was (that was you, Donna!). Her answer? Playing the viola. (I don't think of that as a subject, but apparently she does.:tongue_smilie: All other "school" subjects are apparently off of her radar.)

[AnitaMcC]

She says (with much enthusiasm) that she wants to be a composer when she grows up. Easing off on academic high school requirements to allow more time for her music is going to be hard for me, but if music is still her goal for a profession as she gets older, I'm going to have to figure out how to do that. I guess I'll have to get my academic ya-yas out with my oldest. :D

 

 

 

My Dd plans to major in music for college. Her two career goals are to be a professional music performer (currently she is a metal head) and teach/own Kung Fu school. She is making progress in both careers options.

 

Honestly, I don't know what she will end up doing, but I do not see her finishing a four year university degree (I haven't told her this-:D). I see her going a very successful different path. So I am not going to make her hate her teen years by pushing her where she doesn't want to go, but encourage her to keep her options open by being prepared. I will give her what I think is needed for her to keep her options open, and if later she decided to go a more academic path... then no harm, she can always learn what she needs to learn. She will have the foundations for any path she wants to go on.

 

I went into bioengineering in college... and in high school I didn't go beyond algebra 2/geometry and one year of chemistry and one year of biology. I joined the Navy after high school and then after 5 yrs of Navy I went to college. When I was ready... I did what I needed to accomplish my new goals. Unfortunately my health did not allow me to finish my bioengineering degree. Years later I did finally finish a degree in psychology.

 

And now I am a mom of seven kids and homeschooling our twins for high school... Maybe one day I will finish a graduate degree in rehabilitation counseling.

 

I am just going to keep plugging along and encourage my kids and give them as many opportunities as I can for them to aim for their goals.

[Donna]

Someone once asked dd what her favorite subject was (that was you, Donna!). Her answer? Playing the viola. (I don't think of that as a subject, but apparently she does.:tongue_smilie: All other "school" subjects are apparently off of her radar.)

 

Sorry about that.:blushing:

 

I am in the same boat, though. Playing violin is the "subject" my dd spends the most time on. When she isn't playing, if given the choice, she is looking up composers and writing bios, reading about music theory, or something else music related.

 

It is very difficult for me to think about some day having to ease up on academics if she continues to chose this path. I don't even know if she would chose a conservatory for music study as her passion right now is Irish music rather than classical though I am not going to allow her to chose until further along in life...don't want to close any doors for her at this point.

 

Until she is high school age, though, I will give her a strong academic background. It is another one of those unplannable areas that makes me uncomfortable.

[Storm Bay]

There's no guarantee that our gifted dc will even pursue the things they're passionate about now. The very annoying boy who played first clarinet beside me in band grew up to be not annoying and studied piano. Decades later he still plays a lot and owns a 9' Hamburg Steinway, but he made the money he used to buy it in business. He had no idea that he would end up this way, but there you go.

 

Then there are those who just don't have the drive, and not only can you not give your dc that drive, but it doesn't mean they don't end up leading happy, productive lives.

[zaichiki]

There's no guarantee that our gifted dc will even pursue the things they're passionate about now.

 

Oh Karin, of course you are absolutely right. In fact, I would be perfectly happy if dd followed another passion as a profession. (Most professional musicians work a LOT of hours and really struggle to make ends meet.) Hey, music can be a GREAT hobby and a fulfilling part-time job "on the side."

 

Our music school has set up a few meetings and workshops for parents (formal and informal) to be able to connect with one another. The topic of "what do they do when they grow up" comes up. I had the good fortune to speak with a couple of parents whose kids are extremely advanced and involved with music (they are the cream of the crop, so to speak, over here). I was completely enlightened to find out that they have other aspirations for their future careers. These kids love music and devote the equivalent in hours of a full time job to it while attending high school (that shows how involved they are), and yet they are applying to colleges as Pre-law, Pre-med, and International Business majors etc. I was honestly shocked. But now I understand. I'm so glad I got the chance to sit with the parents as they spoke so candidly about their children's experiences and future plans.

 

I want my children to follow their passions as adults. I also hope that whatever career path they choose does not make their adult lives difficult. Not sure how to word that diplomatically, but there it is.

[zaichiki]

Sorry about that.:blushing:

 

No worries: it's a perfectly valid question.

 

I have since pinned her down. *After* viola, her favorite subject is science (for the experiments). :001_smile:

[trying my best]

For me the biggest challenge is to have school time with my DS5 so that my DD2 doesn't know about it. She wants to have school time as well and we do preschool time with her but she wants to do it ALL THE TIME! and When she knows its school time for my 5 year old son she really wants to "participate" and at the end just bothers us. We tried so many things like side by side different activities with her so she can be in our room but that didn't work. So i am doing home school work with my ds5 only when dd2 goes for a nap. Which i wish it was a rest time for all of us including ds5.

[MissKNG]

So i am doing home school work with my ds5 only when dd2 goes for a nap. Which i wish it was a rest time for all of us including ds5.

 

We work on stuff at night when my small girl goes to bed...mainly math and soon history stuff. My big girl gets a huge second wind so she can really sit and plow through stuff without my small girl distracting us.

[trying my best]

We work on stuff at night when my small girl goes to bed...mainly math and soon history stuff. My big girl gets a huge second wind so she can really sit and plow through stuff without my small girl distracting us.

MY DS5 is a morning person instead... it breaks my heart to see that we are not using his most-active-brain time in the morning at all...

[angela in ohio]

Constantly feeling like I'm not challenging them enough.

Constantly feeling like I'm going through this alone and reinventing the wheel.

Constantly searching for materials and resources.

[MissKNG]

Constantly searching for materials and resources.

 

 

LOL! I consider this the FUN part!!

[angela in ohio]

LOL! I consider this the FUN part!!

 

Give it another 9 or 10 years. :D

[Greenmama2]

We work on stuff at night when my small girl goes to bed...mainly math and soon history stuff. My big girl gets a huge second wind so she can really sit and plow through stuff without my small girl distracting us.

We do this on the days my toddler doesn't nap. We have so much fun on those nights :)

[Donna]

Oh Karin, of course you are absolutely right. In fact, I would be perfectly happy if dd followed another passion as a profession. (Most professional musicians work a LOT of hours and really struggle to make ends meet.) Hey, music can be a GREAT hobby and a fulfilling part-time job "on the side."

 

:iagree:

[gevs4him]

Mine was breaking her from being a perfectionist and always in a big hurry to finish what she stared so she can start something else. :glare: And yet try as you may they will do as they see fit( we never did break her) and we as parents we went along for the ride :auto: Well that is what we did and to be honest at times it was bumpy, but well most of the time it was fun :lol: DD is now 20 and has flew through college in 3 years. She will graduate in May 2, '11 with 2 majors(English, paralegal), 2 minors(criminal law, pre-law) and one concentration(tech. writing). She carries a 3.85 and is happy to tell you the 3 semesters that she did not get a 4.0 is because she never cracked open a book. So when you ask her why? she states I just wanted to have fun :D When you ask her what she plans to do next? she states go get a MBA, then maybe law school or get a DR.

 

So I guess what I am really trying to say do you really think you can change the way a gifted person thinks or their actions? I mean as dd matured she did get less worked up if something did not trun out perfect, but we could never get her to slow down that is just how she is wired.

 

Lisa

[MissKNG]

We do this on the days my toddler doesn't nap. We have so much fun on those nights :)

 

I'm not ready for my 2 year old to stop napping! My small girl goes to bed an hour before I send my big girl to bed.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Give it another 9 or 10 years. :D

 

 

:lol: I was thinking this very thing and then you typed it.

[jewell]

here here...I have a 5, just turned 6 year old on Christmas that is reading on at least a 4th grade level..I have to remember that he's still a wiggly 5 year old and not expect more "work" out of him. He is still fascinated w/ legos at this point (ok, my almost 13 year old still is and I no longer expect the phase to end)...and then his 7 year old bro has moderate dsylexia and it's so much harder for him to read!

[SunshineMom]

Knowing where my dd7 is at on any subject can be hard for she can grow without me realizing she needs a challenge or different kind of "education." She devours books on all sorts of subjects which she (occasionally) shares with me. Recently my husband and I were talking about inventing a new word to describe the group of people who are responding to the live simply movement (living off the land, less consumerism, environmentally conscious etc). Well my dd says I know, "let's call them Green Lighters! Green because they do things like recycle, use solar energy, and live off the earth. Light because they light the way for others to follow and are light on the earth."

I think I have a budding organizer on my hands:) The challenge I have here is putting all this "education" into some kind of responsible action. The environment is important because of web of life, air quality, blah, blah.....(education part) but now what are we going to do to better the environment (for example)? The action part of the education equation is what I find most challenging.