2smartones Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 My kids qualify... but what's the benefit to them? Is there any point in joining other than ego? Is it something we should look into seriously? Dh thinks not. (He & I qualify as well, but we're not members.) :confused: Anyone here a member? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) Both DH and I have joined in the past (separately, in separate cities) and we both decided it wasn't worth it-that there was too much comparing of numbers and too little actual substance. We found more common ground via interests as opposed to IQ. DD would also qualify, but I don't see the point. About the time DD was tested at age 2, the local MENSA chapter inducted their "youngest ever member"-a child about DD's age, and the news article that came out of them sending out the press release was enough to make me decide that there was no WAY in the world that I was letting DD join until she was old enough to decide on her own-and preferably, get herself to the meetings-because I don't think putting an article in the local section of the newspaper trumpeting how smart a toddler is really is in the child's best interest. Edited February 1, 2012 by dmmetler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 Yikes! I feel sorry for that kid and have to wonder what the heck those parents were thinking. :confused::glare: Thanks for your thoughts. I think we'll skip it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 It depends on the local club - when I was about 10 - 16 I was introduced to the local 'Mensa Youth' which, in all honesty, probably saved my life. I was joined up with an adult mentor who was interested and supportive (which my parents / school were not). It also gave me access to the youth club activities which let me meet some like minds and find somewhere I 'belonged' which I didn't otherwise have access too. They supported me in my early entry to university and generally made life a lot more bearable during that time. As far as I'm aware the youth programme and mentoring no longer runs in my community, so, yeah, I guess it depends on what they can offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 There is a Homeschooling sub-group that I've heard is helpful but I've never personally felt Mensa worth the hassle and money. Maybe if I ever lived someplace where there isn't much of a vital intellectual community. I can think of one Army base we were briefly stationed at where I would've wanted to join Mensa had we been there longer than 4 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Membership is not something I'd consider for myself or my kids, but DD the Elder is doing the Gr. 4-6 reading program (the next level has some books that might be a bit too intense quite yet). She had already read most of the books, but there were a few she'd been resistant to, usually because of a cover illustration or a clumsily written blurb on the back or the flap. The motivating power of a t-shirt has won out.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHomeScientist Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I wouldn't bother. I attended a meeting once, decades ago, and it seemed to me to be just a group of moderately bright people sitting around congratulating themselves on how smart they were. That's ironic, since Mensa isn't particularly hard to get into. Roughly 6,000,000 Americans, one out of every 50 people, qualify. I think you should trust your and your husband's first reactions. Since your kids are bright, you'll want them to associate with other bright people, but I think it's better for them to find such groups of people who have shared interests other than just in being bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Since I had the test scores in hand from my oldest son's private school, I signed him up our first year of homeschooling hoping that he could connect with other kids or find a mentor - neither happened. I didn't renew his membership, but I am still on some of the list serves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utkallie Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I contacted our local chapter to see if there were any kids around my DD's age but there wasn't so I passed. The only way I would sign my kids up is if there was a strong kids chapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 ...it seemed to me to be just a group of moderately bright people sitting around congratulating themselves on how smart they were. That's ironic, since Mensa isn't particularly hard to get into. Roughly 6,000,000 Americans, one out of every 50 people, qualify. YES! See... this is the impression I got from the constant stream of emails I get from them. I'm not even sure how I got on their lists, but it's like some sort of recruiting farm or something. When I looked more closely at the requirements, I thought, "Really? That's it?" I think most of the people I know probably qualify. I don't think Mensa is what I'm looking for. I really wish there were a PG "something" here ... and by "here", I mean close enough that I'd be willing to drive there once or twice a week to build friendships for my kids, not a monthly meeting an hour away or something. Something with more than just one or two kids in the group who may or may not "click" with my kids. It saddens me a little that my kids don't really have many friends. Really, like 1 friend each, that they really like, and that they see about once a week or so. But then dh & I don't really have friends, either. *shrugs* Part of me thinks they're missing out on life and social skills (did I just say that????), but part of me thinks they'll never find anyone they really like anyway, so why waste the time? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHomeScientist Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Well, I don't know how old your kids are or their interests, but if I were you I'd think about where bright people tend to gather, and then get the kids involved. You probably have a local astronomy club, for example, and maybe a chess club or a rocket club or a robotics club. You may even have a local hackerspace and/or DIY bio group, both of which'll be full of smart people doing very interesting things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 The only two clubs I've found for "smart kids" are chess and fencing, but they're on the south side of town, and we're in a northern suburb. Fencing is waaaaaay too expensive, and my kids have never really gotten into chess. I'm the only one in the family who likes it, so I sometimes play against the computer on my cell. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 If your local chapter has an active kids social group, it might be worth it. Our group locally does quite a bit. I have scores for my kids that would qualify them, but I haven't bothered because if anything they have too many social outlets at the moment. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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