Mom really, really, really wants kid to be gifted

[BostonMike7]

I was in gifted programs growing up. Later on in life I tested at a high IQ and became an engineer..so perhaps there was some truth to it?

Anyway, my first impression were that the gifted programs were just for the kids that actually tried to apply themselves to things, not necessarily being smart. Most of the other classes seemed to be filled with kids who didn't care and acted up and slowed the rest of the class down, while the gifted classes lacked those distractions and you could actually focus on classroom material better.

So knowing that, I could see why parents could want their child to be in such an environment. It was definitely a lot more exposure to science and math without the distraction of little Steveo being a PITA in the class.

Did all my classmates go on to succeed and start these awesome careers? Not really.

[HighFlyingBird]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I was in gifted programs growing up. Later on in life I tested at a high IQ and became an engineer..so perhaps there was some truth to it?

Anyway, my first impression were that the gifted programs were just for the kids that actually tried to apply themselves to things, not necessarily being smart. Most of the other classes seemed to be filled with kids who didn't care and acted up and slowed the rest of the class down, while the gifted classes lacked those distractions and you could actually focus on classroom material better.

So knowing that, I could see why parents could want their child to be in such an environment. It was definitely a lot more exposure to science and math without the distraction of little Steveo being a PITA in the class.

Did all my classmates go on to succeed and start these awesome careers? Not really.

I was in gifted classes and tested high iq. Did well in college. I'm a stay at home mom . I did marry a brilliant man though.

Gifted classes are different now. When I was a kid, no one made a big deal out of it. The teachers decided the placement and it wasn't thought of "well this kid is dumb and this kid is smart". But now if your kid isn't in gifted, people think they are dumb. Parents have to try to get their kids in them, it's a competition and it gets ugly. And it isn't about nurturing the child, it's about one type of gifted and talented missing a whole huge section of kids who are gifted other ways.

When we were in public school we didn't even try to get my son in gt classes because he has an ld. But he has a iq 130-140. But I knew he wouldn't pass the timed tests. He doesn't fit in a box. Talk about a missed opportunity for a gifted program. Now he is in private and its a lot better. They nurture all parts of him.

[tlvancouver]

There's another thread on this forum where I think the mom the OP refers to might be posting

We all want our kids to be special and talented but really only time and objective assessment will establish that.

OP I'm sorry about your braggy relative, it is absolutely painful to be around someone like that - just know that your child will be far far better off than the one being raised by a mother who really seems to view her child as an accessory to establish how smart she is for her genetic contribution. It's the same logic as kids in beauty pageants.

Taking credit for a genetic anomole (intelligence, beauty, height) is far less meaningful than your child being praised for what they worked hard at (especially when it didn't come easy).

Some gifted kids have social issues, others are suffering from being raised by parents with social challenges who seem content to pass those along.