musicianmom Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I get frustrated with my daughter for working so hard on useless stuff. Right now she's combining her two obsessions, Frozen and saying everything backwards. She's been working very hard on writing down all the lyrics for "Let It Go", every word spelled backwards, and trying to memorize it so she can sing the whole song backwards. (She's already driving me bonkers by talking backwards so much and wanting me to interpret her "language.") My feeling is, if you're going to work so hard on something, why not try something a little more worthwhile? I'm biting my tongue not to say that to her, though, because I had a micro-managing parent and I'm trying not to be that way. I think it's more frustrating when a kid is gifted or accelerated and you see what they could be doing. I'm all for learning through play, but it's not like she's re-enacting Shakespeare with her Barbie dolls or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 If you can, do see if you can find the book The Children of the Atom by Wilmar Shiras. It's OOP but your library might carry it. Caveat: I haven't finished reading it having just checked it out yesterday afternoon. It's a work of fiction but the first 2 chapters are so reflective of how gifted children display and deal with their gifts. Most heartbreaking to read (and something I've personally experienced) is how kids hide gifts in order to fit in or seem sane because others are not able to understand these interests. I personally think it's wonderful that your DD is able to show hers. The mathematician GH Hardy was said to have found immense pleasure in the seemingly useless activity of watching cricket matches. Tolkien created his own languages for fun. Feynman learned to crack safes! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 My boys were speaking their version of pig latin to each other. They did the backwards routine too. From the child's perspective, it is genuine fun and useful for their own emotional health. I was that kind of kid, so I cut my kids lots of slack :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 That Tolkien tidbit will be good to share with dd because she is reading LotR and loving it. Maybe her activity is scratching some sort of brain itch. She has also meticulously gone through our baby name book, circled every name she likes, and is now copying all those on her own list. And you're right, it's good that she can indulge in these interests without fear of social rejection, although the backwards talking is causing problems with her younger siblings who can't understand her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I think that's very clever, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 That Tolkien tidbit will be good to share with dd because she is reading LotR and loving it. Maybe her activity is scratching some sort of brain itch. She has also meticulously gone through our baby name book, circled every name she likes, and is now copying all those on her own list. And you're right, it's good that she can indulge in these interests without fear of social rejection, although the backwards talking is causing problems with her younger siblings who can't understand her. You might really miss it when she starts to get more busy and finds less and less time to indulge in these interests. I know that I do. For me, it is a good thing you asked this question because it prompted me to leaf through DS's past work and I just stumbled upon his journal kept when he was 7 to just turned 8. I found some pages where he collected his "big" words with 3 or more consonants in a row. Just for fun. I remember when he thought of the words when we were in the car, screeching them out in delight in that back seat booster seat of his and impatiently waiting to get back home to jot them down. He also used to love drawing grids and plugging numbers into them. Just grid after grid, pages and pages of it. I never really took enough time to inquire more into them. I wish I had then. He is getting really busy with his lessons now. Those old interests have disappeared and new ones have taken their place...still I miss those old interests so much. Could she perhaps slowly teach them her backwards language? It could be a lovely sibling language to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Sounds like she is in good company! Mozart was known to do this, and Leonardo Da Vinci wrote his 'backwards' codes. Perhaps you could allow her to type the work in Da Vinci backwards font:) Regardless, think of it as an incredible mental manipulation exercise. It doesn't matter so much WHAT she uses to train her brain. My hubby is an inorganic chemist and 'exercises his brain' by visualizing rotations, inversions, etc., of molecules. That 3D spatial awareness she must have will come in handy:) Have you asked her if she 'sees' the words backwards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Your daughter reminds me a bit of myself as a child - I spent ages practicing juggling til I learnt to do it without reading any book on it or having any sort of instruction. I also taught myself to write in mirror writing both in print and cursive - and then did an essay in high school that was specifically designed so that I could use that type of writing in the essay itself. And then singing the alphabet forwards and backwards both in letter names and phonetic letters. I don't THINK it harmed me any or wasted any more time than I would have wasted watching TV or sleeping or doing some other restful activity - personally I would leave her be. It does however relate to what we find worthwhile - is it personal happiness, or wealth, or contributing to the economy? If it is ok for us to waste time spending hours in a hot bath when we are already clean or chewing food we most certainly do not need for nourishment then why shouldn't we learn songs backwards instead of doing algebra or whatever else we could fill our time with? Its all about moderation I suppose. She'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Your daughter reminds me a bit of myself as a child - I spent ages practicing juggling til I learnt to do it without reading any book on it or having any sort of instruction. I also taught myself to write in mirror writing both in print and cursive - and then did an essay in high school that was specifically designed so that I could use that type of writing in the essay itself. And then singing the alphabet forwards and backwards both in letter names and phonetic letters. I don't THINK it harmed me any or wasted any more time than I would have wasted watching TV or sleeping or doing some other restful activity - personally I would leave her be. It does however relate to what we find worthwhile - is it personal happiness, or wealth, or contributing to the economy? If it is ok for us to waste time spending hours in a hot bath when we are already clean or chewing food we most certainly do not need for nourishment then why shouldn't we learn songs backwards instead of doing algebra or whatever else we could fill our time with? Its all about moderation I suppose. She'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 She is gifted, but she is still a child. Children engage in silly, foolish pursuits merely for the fun of it. For gifted children those pursuits are simply more elaborate. Rest easy knowing she is a child enjoying childhood play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Thanks for all the info and encouragement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I get frustrated with my daughter for working so hard on useless stuff. Right now she's combining her two obsessions, Frozen and saying everything backwards. She's been working very hard on writing down all the lyrics for "Let It Go", every word spelled backwards, and trying to memorize it so she can sing the whole song backwards. (She's already driving me bonkers by talking backwards so much and wanting me to interpret her "language.") Working??? This isn't assigned... this is free play... Stand back and let her roll with it. She is getting something out of it. For us the limit is when the frustration level exceeds the potential benefit. Will it go somewhere *you* recognize as worthwhile... impossible to say... but it is authentic and meaningful for her... this is the sort of interstitial activity that homeschooling is great for allowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SierraNevada Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Absolutely! In my mind I wonder why DS would go around doing such high mental, yet to me, off the wall tasks. The part the also struck me though, is when she asks you to interpret her language. How many late nights have I laid by DS listening to him go on and on about his bizarre obsessions and just wishing he'd use his brain for something I'm more interested in. But I bite my tongue as I try to calmly remind myself, it's all brain play, no matter the form it takes. And to him, it is all the love and joy of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 How many late nights have I laid by DS listening to him go on and on about his bizarre obsessions and just wishing he'd use his brain for something I'm more interested in. But I bite my tongue as I try to calmly remind myself, it's all brain play, no matter the form it takes. And to him, it is all the love and joy of life. OMG... from age ~2 to 5 1/2 DS7 took between 1 1/2 and 3 hrs to go to sleep *every* night with us in the room. It was terrible... except for the long running monologues as he went to sleep... a 30-45minute free form monologue on deep philosophical issues every night... now we give him melatonin and he drops off in 10 minutes... I miss the immersion in his unconscious but not enough to go back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omd21 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Ahhhh!!!! I'm so happy to hear I'm not alone in this. Both DD's have memorized the entire Frozen movie and sing the songs several times a day. Now I'm singing the songs too; I can't get them out of my head. I think it's brilliant that your DD is singing them backwards :) This obsession did recently come in handy when DD11 was casted as Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing". Although she desperately wanted the part and did beautifully in the audition, she was in a panic about not being able to memorize the lines, or forget them on stage, etc. To which I happily pointed out: "how long did it take you to memorize all the songs from Frozen?". Her reply - "good point, mom". :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anacharsis Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Maybe she has an interest in cryptography? :) Writing backwards is a simple version of something called a "transposition cipher". Is it just writing backwards that she enjoys, or other forms of writing manipulation as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullseye Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 My son has insisted on speaking almost entirely in rhyme for over a year and a half now. It gets annoying sometimes, but his poetic skills are definitely improving. As he's gained skill I've added in the rule that what he says needs to make sense and not just consist of random made-up words and sound effects thrown in for the sake of rhyming. I also taught him about alliteration recently, so now he's experimenting with that. Helping him branch out has been good for my sanity. For what it's worth, I remember engaging in several quirky mental exercises - spelling words backward in my head amongst them - when I was bored in school but not allowed to work on other things. The compulsion to do so generally disappeared when I was on my own time. Your daughter has chosen this activity for herself and is surely learning from it, but maybe it's a sign of excess mental energy to burn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Your daughter has chosen this activity for herself and is surely learning from it, but maybe it's a sign of excess mental energy to burn? No doubt about that, lol! But what can be done about it? Maybe she has an interest in cryptography? :) Writing backwards is a simple version of something called a "transposition cipher". Is it just writing backwards that she enjoys, or other forms of writing manipulation as well? She's done other types of language manipulation, things similar to Pig Latin. I have ordered a kids' book on beginning cryptography, as well as a book on language construction. I don't want to take away her fun, but she might flip through the books and at least be exposed to some interesting ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 She is playing with ideas! That is a very productive activity and critical for her or any child's cognitive development. I say encourage her to go on rabbit trails...they are the stuff creative breakthroughs are made of! Btw, some of the most prominent psychologists have emphasised the importance of free, unstructured, child lead play here ...http://departments.weber.edu/chfam/4990a/Theory&play.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 My DD's recent project has been creating a Munchkin (card game) version focused on Neopets, drawing cards, deciding on what things each card should do, trying to balance her set so it's not too easy or hard, etc. I guess it's worth the work to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Neopets is still a thing? I had no idea! Dd woke me up this morning asking if the language construction book would arrive today, so I guess she's excited about it. I really do understand the value of free play. What throws me is when the "play" looks like work. I end up thinking, "why not just do harder math or a new foreign language or write a story if you're going to work that hard on something?" Points to me for only saying it to you all and not to her, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 One of my friends is a theoretical linguist and works for a specific government agency that must not be named. Being able to construct languages also means being able to deconstruct it. Neopets is a thing, still, but seems to appeal more to adults than to kids. DD likes the fact that there are a lot of contests, especially the writing ones. She does more writing trying to get into the Neopian times and win spotlights than she'd ever do for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Points to me for only saying it to you all and not to her, right? Yes! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I took all my notes in high school upside down and backwards in cursive. :D At the time, I could write at speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I took all my notes in high school upside down and backwards in cursive. :D At the time, I could write at speed. I had my own phonetic alphabet that I took all of my notes in. And I did it in the teeniest cursive so that other people couldn't see what I was writing. I actually spent a lot of time and energy developing that alphabet, and making sure that it wasn't missing any sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 My dd used to write sentences like they were in a mirror when she was 4-5yo. She memorized every word to every song in Phantom of the Opera around the same time but I didn't see it as a waste of time. I think she just memorizes without trying very hard. It has translated to her music now. She also used her Playmobil castle and figures to create sequels to Phantom. She numbered each one and expected me to remember the details of whichever of the (over 100) sequels she decided we were going to play…she remembered them and was frustrated with me if I didn't. (I never got them right except the ones she liked to play over and over.) She spent a year crafting tiny miniatures for a doll house (cardboard boxes taped and glued together) out of anything she could recycle…every little detail that would be in every room of a house...then re-doing pieces as she came up with better ideas. By the time she had her "house" finished, she was done playing with it and our finished basement was full of cardboard box rooms. Heaven forbid anyone discard a box or any other bit of trash, I mean treasure, she might use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hahaha. I can still sing "Yawa ni a regnam, on birc rof a deb..." thanks to one boring Xmas holiday at my grandparents :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I hear ya! DD12 spent weeks teaching herself to draw. Watched videos online, practiced and practiced and practiced. All so she could draw........ My Little Ponies. Nothing else. She is currently working through the US Presidents. Drawing each President as a Pony. She has already done all her favorite movie characters - Harry Potter, Narnia, LOTR - all as My Little Ponies. Stacks of Pony Comic Books, illustrated Pony Stories. And a whole study on Pony Hair Styles.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 I hear ya! DD12 spent weeks teaching herself to draw. Watched videos online, practiced and practiced and practiced. All so she could draw........ My Little Ponies. Nothing else. She is currently working through the US Presidents. Drawing each President as a Pony. She has already done all her favorite movie characters - Harry Potter, Narnia, LOTR - all as My Little Ponies. Stacks of Pony Comic Books, illustrated Pony Stories. And a whole study on Pony Hair Styles.. Please tell me she has a blog to display all these to the world. I really want to see the My Little Pony presidents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Hours of MineCraft. Hours of researching and watching YouTube videos of MineCraft. Hours of building famous landmarks (Falling Water, Coliseum, Parthenon, the Louvre, etc) in MineCraft. Hours rambling on and on about MineCraft. Hours of calculating resources in MineCraft. The level of energy my child pores into this games is just ridiculous! But he loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Lining her bedroom with carefully constructed habitats for plastic reptiles, set up to as closely model their care needs as possible, each labeled with common and scientific name, the animal's personal name, information about it, and so on. Basically, a toy reptile house from the zoo. She also spent hours recently carefully arranging her toy reptiles outside and then "herping"-finding them, taking photos, weighing, measuring, and so on (so far, the only reptiles out are turtles. Snakes and lizards usually start becoming active in Late March and since it's been so cold this year, may be later than normal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 She is gifted, but she is still a child. Children engage in silly, foolish pursuits merely for the fun of it. For gifted children those pursuits are simply more elaborate. Rest easy knowing she is a child enjoying childhood play. This, this, a hundred times this!! Not only are they still children, but they are still individuals. Being gifted doesn't mean a person is serious, or focused, or ambitious, or destined to attend an ivy league school or be rich or famous. A gifted child may still want to be a baker or a musician or an elementary school teacher for a living someday. And there's nothing wrong with that. Who decides what is "worthwhile" anyways? My kids ages 8 and 11 are spending all their spare time right now writing their Doctor Who scripts and making Doctor Who puppets and doing voice overs and video editing. Is the end result "worthwhile"? I think so, as they are enjoying it and reaching the limits of their creativity to do something they are passionate about at this point in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 My son pours as much energy into his made up languages and codes as he does into anything "more worthwhile". The thing is that play is totally worthwhile, on its own and to no end purpose. I reckon he could theoretically be more prepared for the regional spelling bee if he spent all that play time on spelling. But then I would have a fried exhausted kid. He deserves to have trivial and light pursuits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.