Laura - posted on 02/08/2010 ( 5 moms have responded )
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I am running into an issue and would like some ideas on how others have handled it. My son was just classified gifted. He is in a wonderful school district and at a just opened school that has 15-20 students per class. So everyone knows him. We have received wonderful support now that we have the IEP we have more support and control over things. Our first issue that has come up is with reading. He reads at high level (hasn't been tested yet) and so to keep him interested in reading has been difficult. He has recently come home with books that are way over his "social/sophistication/maturity level", but just right for reading ability. So I have had to go back to the gifted teacher and class teacher and say "can we be more careful of what he chooses". The issue I am seeing is now that we have all this wonderful help they seem to want to cater to his "brain power" and not stifle it. Which is wonderful. However, how do you balance that with his maturity level? Just (and this is an extreme example didn't happen) because a child can read the shinning doesn't mean he should. I find myself spending a great deal of time monitoring what is going on with him now than I ever did before. I feel my job is to protect his innocence. Have others noticed once you get the gifted stamp that you now have to be more protective and watchful? It is driving me nuts and I am probably driving the teachers crazy because I am involving myself. I am not a helecopter mom. I just feel like I said just because you are able to read something doesn't mean you should. I have had some very interesting conversations with DS about nature and life because the gifted teacher suggested a book for a project. The book would be better read by a 5 grader and above instead of a 2nd grader. The author is very good at evoking emotion and uses graphic detail. In the 1st 3 chapters of the book he described, in detail, a doe being taken down by wolves, a serious sleding accident that tore up his knee and a squirrel killing and eating a chipmunk. Yes this is all nature and normal, but I would not let him watch a show on tv that went into that much detail. Not until he is older. I fully believe that when you are exposed to a lot of violence you become inmune and I don't want him to become immune. I am thankful it bothered him and he did not say "wow that is so cool" Although nature is cool I don't want the violence to become cool. BTW I was a marine biologist who studied sharks before I became a mom so I know how violent nature can be. How do you keep your supper brainy kid at an age appropriate innocence?
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