Introduction
This page is for all of the dedicated parents out there who have stood by their children shaking their heads, perplexed as they watch and listen to their children. Being the parent of a gifted child is a challenging job but it can also be a lot of fun. We hope you enjoy these humourous and sometimes, not so humourous, crazy-making, moments in parenting the gifted child.
So, doesn't it drive you crazy (too)...
...when they ask you a long and involved question and as you begin to answer it you make some insignificant factual error (that really doesn't factor into the argument) and they have to interrupt you and correct it (it was 1:52 not 1:53 p.m.)
...when they just have to try that messy science experiment with your kitchen utensils five minutes before supper is ready
...when you are running late and you warn them to put their books away, just before you arrive somewhere and when you park the car, you still hear the familiar - "but I have to finish this first"
...when he can be so oblivious to outside distractions (while reading) that his little brothers can completely trash his roomwhile he is there with them and that he doesn't even notice (let alone stop them)
...when any little thing that goes wrong ruins their whole existance - but only until something goes right and then they've "never been so happy" in their entire lives!
...when they wait until after they've brushed their teeth, put their pajamas on, heard their story and are tucked in bed with the lights out to say, "Mommy? I'm hungry. Can I have a snack?"
...when they wait until 10 pm to suddenly start crying about the big (or little) (or insignificant!) changes in their lives?
...when the neighbourhood grocery story getting renovated becomes something to sob inconsolably about? ("I miss the old store and it's never coming baaaack...")
...when they can't remember where they put their shoes but won't let you forget the time you burned supper!
...when you are trying to be nice to an older relative (like Great Aunt) and tell them that you have supper on and have to go take care of it only for a little voice pipe in that Daddy just took care of it.
...when you call Mom to listen to the baby's new word and they refuse to say it.
...when you get them in bed and tucked in (for the third time) and they THEN decide they are thirsty.
...when you just get supper taken up and they start fighting. While you turn to see what's wrong the entire plateful of spagetti slides off the plate and over your new shoes.
...when they choose the minute you are in a hurry to get them to school to learn to tie their shoe laces.
..when you ask everyday if they have homework they never do, but the day you forget to ask is the day they have three different tasks to do.
...when they never, ever hurry up because the book, TV show, conversation, ladybug walking on their windowsill or whatever is just WAY more fascinating than whatever it is you need them to do.
....when they "can't" remember their homework, mitts, shoes, whatever but have no trouble whatsoever remembering how you hurt their feelings with some comment when they were 3!
....when they are so delightful and well-behaved for the babysitter and/or teacher but at home you get the full brunt of every bad mood, any real/apparent injustice etc.
.... when come hell or high water they will not wear that shirt "because the tag scratches me" or those pants "I can feel the button", which always has to happen when it is the only decent clothes they have and you're taking them to a wedding etc.
... when they are tattling on someone and try to tell you not only what to do but what to say?? (mom, will you tell her it's a good idea to sit here because...)"
... when your usually conservative 8 year old *girl* decides to toot in the library on purpose?
... when trying to get three kids out the door and you get the youngest ready, to the washroom and in the car first, and by the time you've gathered the others and all their "necessary" belongings and get them in the car, the youngest has to go to the washroom again!
... when you've been fast asleep for almost two hours and he wakes you up to tell you he's ready to go to sleep now.
... when she asks you to help her pick her clothes in the morning and you know her favourite outfit is dirty (there goes 45 minutes!)
... when your youngest drags you to the washroom every time to wipe him so he doesn't have to wash his hands because he is so conscientious about it that it takes longer than going to the toilet in the first place!
... when you just got home from the grocery store the day before having tried hard to find some reasonably healthy food they will enjoy, and they say "there's nothing to eat"!
... when you have to listen quietly to a five minute long dramatic description of some "horrible" wrongdoing when you know exactly where she's going and what you're answer's going to be ... without interrupting! Or else you might a well just start the whole thing all over again!
... when you are constantly asking him "I can't remember so-and-so (like the name of some obscure character from a book we read 3 years ago), do you?", and he ALWAYS does.
... when, like tonight, my daughter asked for soft-boiled eggs and I reminded her that she'll need to come right away when I call her to eat or they'll get hard ... and she shows up 45 minutes after because she was too busy making a Father's Day craft (which I have yet to be allowed to see) - at least she knew better than to complain that her dinner was cold!
... when my neighbour mentions that lunch is just a short meal and outside her kids go, but OUR lunch is a long and drawn-out affair - can't ANYTHING be straightforword?
...when most of the other kids simply play a game together in the yard after school, while my kids are repeatedly coming up with new ideas that involve some intervention on my part eg. to avoid falling out of a tree, not picking the flowers, not climbing the fence, breaking off conversations so that well-intentioned and polite adults aren't conversationally trapped by my child, running away....
...when, within the span of one meal I've been asked if I could find a book about Thomas Eddison, what's the biggest number that I can imagine, can woman marry each other, plus more....
...when my child can sit for an hour (quietly) and listen to Harry Potter but is unable to sit through a meal without falling off the chair
...when you tell your 2 or recently turned 3 year-old that in two minutes it will be time to leave her friend's backyard, and she says "no, in six minutes"
...when your child is sitting on the toilet and asks in a big voice, to no one in particular, "Did Star Wars change the way movies are made forever?
...when your child tells your extremely nice and shy cleaning lady that her "dad says you need to use more elbow grease"
...when your child thinks piano practice is a worse fate than eating spiders, but will spend hours just tinkering away "writing songs"
...when every single time (without exception) you call your child, you hear something to the effect of "just let me finish this"
...when you are in a situation where you probably should let someone off the hook nicely by telling a white lie or an exaggeration, but you know you cannot - your child (A.K.A. the morality police) is right there and she WILL correct you...
...whenever you are very busy, rushing to get something done, you child decides this would be a great time to learn something that requires your constant assistance (like word processing)...(but the times you want to show them how to do this kind of stuff, they have zero interest in it whatsoever....)
...when your child asks you about something and they really seem to need to know the hows, whys, etc. You spend a lot of time searching for the answers, asking people, getting all the information -- only to find that they are no longer interested.
...when your child can never eat a meal in a timely fashion because they are too busy talking.
...when your child cannot manage to get dressed in the morning for school because there is always something far more interesting to do (read, sing songs, imagine, watch the sunlight filter through the blinds, etc.) - I swear this is the one that is going to put me over the edge one day....sigh....
...when you you try to follow their lead only to find out that it is going in eight different directions at the same time.
...when you have more children then computers?
...when, in the beginning, you buy some really wonderful learning materials, only to find out that they have already learned the concept in question.
...when you advocate for school enrichment only to find out that your child needs to prove that they already know the material you wish the teachers to teach her before they are willing to teach it to her.
...when you cringe when someone mentions something casual (but false information) to your child (like,if you keep doing that your eyes will stay that way) and you know you're going to be spending a good portion of your day going over not only why the information is incorrect, but why someone would say something incorrect when they know it is incorrect...
...when your child's desire to 'show off' is in direct opposition to yours.
...when they're right and you're wrong...and they're three.
And the number one favourite for me...
...when they won't stop talking...