An Overwhelming Gift

You know you are in trouble when:

• Your 4 year old tells you he loves math "more than anything" and eagerly watches instructional videos for a first grade math curriculum, yelling out the answers to all of the teacher's questions.
• Your 6 year old (at the age of 5) read the entire Winnie the Pooh chapter book during nap times and could tell you all about the story.
• Your 4 year old can explain what a chord is and the difference between a major and minor chord and can play many chords on the piano.
• Your 4 year old is also learning to play the classical song he composed by humming it into a microphone.
• Your 2 year old can sound out 3 and 4 letter short-vowel words and read easy reader books.
• Your 6 year old understands how multiplication facts work and can solve single digit problems in her head.
• Your 2 year old wants to know if you (and she) are "real."
• Your 4 year old spends 10 minutes discussing with the dentist how the "suction thing" works and then uses it to suck up a cupful of water.
• Your 2 year old understands how knock, knock jokes work and can successfully retell them, even making up some of her own.
• Your 4 year old asks you why spiral galaxies are made up of stars.
• Your 6 year old (at the age of 4) is asked if she knows what a certain sign means (sign language for "I love you") and she responds in Spanish - "Te amo."
• Your 6 year old can also count to 30 in Spanish.
• Your 2 year old yells out "10" when you ask your older child the answer to 5+5.
• Your 4 year old reads at a first grade level, and your 6 year old reads at a fourth grade level.
• Your 4 year old (at the age of 3) could sing all three verses of the hymn "It is Well" with proper pronunciation and pitch, varying his volume appropriately throughout the song.
• Your 2 year old talks the doctor's ear off while he watches her, wide-eyed, and says she talks like a 5 year old.

I realize that moms have a tendency to overestimate the intelligence of their children. What mother does not want to believe that her child is extraordinarily bright? But, I truly believe that I have three gifted children.

Why does this matter? Shouldn't I just quietly celebrate and keep my "bragging" to myself? Honestly, as a person who excelled in school as a child, I definitely feel the impulse to hide or downplay my kids' abilities in order to avoid the teasing that inevitably comes when a child is different from the norm. However, I am beginning to understand what a challenge giftedness can be. A child who struggles with boredom in school may appear unfocused and unmotivated. A kid who wants to investigate how the world works may do so in dangerous or destructive ways without proper guidance.

Additionally, I constantly wrestle with finding the best educational setting for each kid. Hannah just loves school and all of her friends. She is developing into a little social butterfly! But, she also is not learning much academically, other than Spanish and some science and social studies concepts. In kindergarten, this does not matter as much (and she honestly needed some of the social experiences), but what about in older grades? I want her to be able to learn at a faster pace, delve more deeply into the subjects that capture her interest, and not have her intellectual curiosity stifled by the disapproval of her peers. At the same time, I want to let her be a kid and have fun, without giving her third grade workbooks just because she is capable of completing them.

I think that we may switch back to homeschooling in another year or two for these reasons. When I teach them, I can take them to higher levels while keeping it interesting and exciting at the same time. I can also give them plenty of time for fun and extracurricular activities during the day. Right now, after a full day of kindergarten, Hannah comes home so exhausted that she does not even want to read anymore, and she has no time for other activities she enjoys, like ballet.

Anyway, please excuse this rather introspective blog entry today. My children are such an overwhelming gift sometimes - full of delights and challenges. I pray that I have the wisdom to help them grow, not just intellectually, but also in character and confidence and compassion. I know that they are helping me grow in those areas each and every day!