Where are people so jealous of gifted kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6yo does 6th and 7th grade math (really!). When people ask about him, I say he loves ninja class, he's nervous about the start of school, we're struggling with how competitive he is with his brothers, and he just had a great trip to visit my mom who he loves to art projects with.

Not because i'm hiding his math skills so people won't get jealous or because but because his math skill isn't the important or interesting thing about him and is not on my mind. I honestly can't fathom answering "well we're really proud of larlo b/c he's doing math so far ahead of his peers". Maybe you should question why your kids reading is the top of mind thing for you about them as a person

sorry for typos - you get the gist. I truly can't imagine his academic ability being the thing I tell someone about him unless it was like he's on math team and competing in regionals soon and that was the recent news i was sharing about him as a person.

[Anonymous]

8 pages of responses here; I’m sure it’s been said. It’s not so much that people are jealous as much as you’re probably obnoxious in constantly bringing it up.

We were at a play date with my preschooler and the parents kept talking about how gifted their older child was (who wasn’t even present.) it was kind of weird.

Like anywhere else in life, you should be modest about your blessings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6 y/o DS can read and wright at the level of a 7th grader. Whenever I tell my friends or coworkers, some of them are impressed, but others have literally stated out that it's really not that special and that they, as adults, can write better than them. And I'm thinking to myself, "You're about 30 years older than my son. I would hope that you can read and write write better than him." It's like they don't even consider the fact that he's only 6 years old. I would expect an adult to read and write well above the level of my son, but a lot of people don't seem to acknowledge that for his age, it's impressive.

OK. Interesting.


OP, it's 6 years later. Give us the update.

[Anonymous]

Being the parent of a gifted kid after a certain age (say, 6) can be an isolating experience. Seek out other parents of gifted kids and share achievements and concerns with them - build your community. Gifted are not just smart, they don't have typical brains - they're not neurotypical. This is what others don't understand, and think it's bragging, or you're hot housing your child or other dismissive things. But when you find your community or teachers who will be in your corner, it will be a game changer.

[Anonymous]

How does that ever come up in a conversation? My kid is reading at the 7th grade level. Who is asking you this question?

[Anonymous]

No one is jealous. They feel bad for you and the kid because they know that while your child is extremely bright they will most likely have a very tough time socially. No one wants their kid to he an outcast.

[Anonymous]

This isn’t about your son or people like him. This is about your social skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6 y/o DS can read and wright at the level of a 7th grader. Whenever I tell my friends or coworkers, some of them are impressed, but others have literally stated out that it's really not that special and that they, as adults, can write better than them. And I'm thinking to myself, "You're about 30 years older than my son. I would hope that you can read and write write better than him." It's like they don't even consider the fact that he's only 6 years old. I would expect an adult to read and write well above the level of my son, but a lot of people don't seem to acknowledge that for his age, it's impressive.

Not sure why this thread was revived after a six-month hiatus, but can't help but comment how completely implausible it is that a 6 y/o can read and write at the level of a 7th grader. Yes, he might be capable of performing the mechanical task of reading, but reading is ultimately about understanding and writing is ultimately about expression. Mature expression can't be achieved until the writer has been exposed to a lot of content. There's just no way that a 6 year old has been exposed to the same volume or type of ideas as a 7th grader. And it's highly unlikely that a 6 year old can understand the nuances of a book directed at 7th graders--content which is aimed at life experiences that a 6 y/o hasn't ever had, and likely alludes to other books that a 6 y/o hasn't read yet.

Also, it's sad to see parents rush their kids past the amazing children's literature written for young children. It's like building a house without a foundation. They should learn "the queen of hearts, she baked some tarts" before reading Alice in Wonderland, and "the owl and the pussycat" before tackling "Little Pig Robinson."