school for quirky kid

[Anonymous]

We are planning a move to the DC metro area this winter and we are trying to figure out the whole school thing. We have 2 sons who, like their parents, are introverted, calm, quiet, steady kids (6.5 and 8.5). Then we have a 4.5 year old daughter who is...not. Her hobbies include scaling furniture, going down the biggest water slides and the highest diving boards we'll allow, making friends with literally every.single.person she meets, jumping off of jungle gyms when there's a perfectly good slide right nearby, running around naked...you get the idea. She's been reading for a bit, and she loves to read hanging upside down on the couch.

(yes, we are exhausted. Why do you ask?)

Obviously we work continually on boundaries and limits while also really, really not wanting to take away her fierceness and her fearlessness. We love her the way that she is and don't want school to stamp that out...but we also need her to learn. Anyway, we're basically looking for suggestions for schools, preferably public but we could possibly make private work...

thanks for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

We have come across a lot of girls like this, its quite normal, but probably unfamiliar to parents of mostly boys.

Send her where you want to live, where your boys go etc.

She'll be fine. So will you when you work out that she's normal.

[Anonymous]

She doesn't sound quirky. She sounds bold, and possibly like the baby who hasn't had as many boundaries as her older brother.

If you want something where she'll get outside and burn off some of that energy, look at the schools with property. Lowell, Barrie, Sandy Spring Friends School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have come across a lot of girls like this, its quite normal, but probably unfamiliar to parents of mostly boys.

Send her where you want to live, where your boys go etc.

She'll be fine. So will you when you work out that she's normal.

Haha. We don't think she isn't normal! She's just in some ways a mystery to is! For one thing, she's smarter than anyone else in our family--her parents included (obviously we *know* more than she does at this point, but yeah, we're pretty sure that in terms of pure intellect she's got all of us beat). She's also much MUCH more extraverted, and since DH and I and both our sons tend to like small groups of well-known people followed by alone time...we are somewhat puzzled by the fact that our girl likes nothing more than huge rooms of new people! Then there's the daredevil side. Good lord, I was terrified to do a cartwheel as a kid. My daughter is learning backflips.

[Anonymous]

What is your budget (for housing and potentially for private school) and what is the commute(s)?

[Anonymous]

Funny, if I were you I'd be focusing on the right fit for the two boys. They seem like theyay not be "squeaky" enough to get the grease in public school than your fearless girl. That said, possibly the Waldorf Forest Kindergarten would be a good fit for her. A lot of outdoor time and focus on building a community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny, if I were you I'd be focusing on the right fit for the two boys. They seem like theyay not be "squeaky" enough to get the grease in public school than your fearless girl. That said, possibly the Waldorf Forest Kindergarten would be a good fit for her. A lot of outdoor time and focus on building a community.

Both boys are just...there's no real way to say this without sounding like a jerk. But they are just easy kids. They get along with people, they are both average students who like learning, they are super adaptable...just easygoing, steady kiddos. We are very, very lucky with all three of them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have come across a lot of girls like this, its quite normal, but probably unfamiliar to parents of mostly boys.

Send her where you want to live, where your boys go etc.

She'll be fine. So will you when you work out that she's normal.

Haha. We don't think she isn't normal! She's just in some ways a mystery to is! For one thing, she's smarter than anyone else in our family--her parents included (obviously we *know* more than she does at this point, but yeah, we're pretty sure that in terms of pure intellect she's got all of us beat). She's also much MUCH more extraverted, and since DH and I and both our sons tend to like small groups of well-known people followed by alone time...we are somewhat puzzled by the fact that our girl likes nothing more than huge rooms of new people! Then there's the daredevil side. Good lord, I was terrified to do a cartwheel as a kid. My daughter is learning backflips.

This. Is.What.Daughters.Are.Like

don't make her a princess

[Anonymous]

OMG... Haha... Wait, the daughter is the quirky one?!?

I think you have it backwards.... Or nobody is quirky.

Holy Camole!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have come across a lot of girls like this, its quite normal, but probably unfamiliar to parents of mostly boys.

Send her where you want to live, where your boys go etc.

She'll be fine. So will you when you work out that she's normal.

Haha. We don't think she isn't normal! She's just in some ways a mystery to is! For one thing, she's smarter than anyone else in our family--her parents included (obviously we *know* more than she does at this point, but yeah, we're pretty sure that in terms of pure intellect she's got all of us beat). She's also much MUCH more extraverted, and since DH and I and both our sons tend to like small groups of well-known people followed by alone time...we are somewhat puzzled by the fact that our girl likes nothing more than huge rooms of new people! Then there's the daredevil side. Good lord, I was terrified to do a cartwheel as a kid. My daughter is learning backflips.

This. Is.What.Daughters.Are.Like

don't make her a princess

Oh, I am so sorry, I did not realize that daughters come only in one mold and that mold fits our daughter perfectly! Seriously? Why on earth would you think we are trying to make her a princess? Was it not clear that we adore her the way she is?

Let me spell it out for you then. We.Do.Not.Want.To.Change.Our.Daughter.

[Anonymous]

Quirky doesn't fall far from the tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have come across a lot of girls like this, its quite normal, but probably unfamiliar to parents of mostly boys.

Send her where you want to live, where your boys go etc.

She'll be fine. So will you when you work out that she's normal.

Haha. We don't think she isn't normal! She's just in some ways a mystery to is! For one thing, she's smarter than anyone else in our family--her parents included (obviously we *know* more than she does at this point, but yeah, we're pretty sure that in terms of pure intellect she's got all of us beat). She's also much MUCH more extraverted, and since DH and I and both our sons tend to like small groups of well-known people followed by alone time...we are somewhat puzzled by the fact that our girl likes nothing more than huge rooms of new people! Then there's the daredevil side. Good lord, I was terrified to do a cartwheel as a kid. My daughter is learning backflips.

This. Is.What.Daughters.Are.Like

don't make her a princess

+1

[Anonymous]

Wow. Tough crowd. Hope there are some normal non judgmental people in the DC area too.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, in the DC area your daughter will probably fit in better than your sons because it is filled with extroverts. My daughter sounds like your daughter and we honestly don't worry about her at our local public school. Our son is an introvert and is getting a bit lost so we are considering private for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, in the DC area your daughter will probably fit in better than your sons because it is filled with extroverts. My daughter sounds like your daughter and we honestly don't worry about her at our local public school. Our son is an introvert and is getting a bit lost so we are considering private for him.

Interesting, where we are now is kind of the opposite. This is definitely something to think about! I guess with all of them the best place to start is to find a public school that looks good in a neighborhood we might like