Last Day of School and Worries of Next Year

Today was the last day of school and our oldest son received some of the top awards given out today. I feel like it's not really a big deal for him though. I thought it was pretty impressive that our son gets the Principal's Award for Top Academics in not just one subject, but ALL subjects, but it's like it isn't anything special. I've began to notice a trend with him and the awards he's gotten. It's like oh, no big deal, it's just the "smart kid" getting another certificate. I wonder though if it might cause him to want to "under-excel" later so that he gets more attention for NOT achieving.

Like one thing that they started changing this past year which I have mixed feelings on:

They have this reading program where you read books and take tests to get points. The more books you read and more tests you take, the more points you get and then at the end of the month the points get tallied up and you get prizes and awards. Our oldest has always been gung-ho about this and while the rest of his class is getting 25-75 points a month, he is getting 100+.

Last year he got the "highest points award" many times and each time he gets this it is special and he gets prizes and it's fun for him.

This year they changed the rules so that once you get it one month you are never allowed it again and don't get the prizes or certificate or whatever.

I realize they want to make it more fair for the other kids to get the certificate or prizes when they aren't coming close to his points, but at the same time I have mixed emotions. My husband's thoughts were like "Well, gee, it's like if you work hard and practice at a sport and run in a race then you can win once, but all the other times you might win but it won't count and you won't get the gold medal because you can only have it once."

I suppose it is good to let the other kids feel like they can get a good award, but when I go to these assemblies and I know that my son worked so hard to get 165 points and then watch the other kid who got 72 points get the picture taken, awards, and extra prizes for being the "high point earner" when I know they really weren't, it makes me feel he got a little cheated.

It's dumb, I know. I shouldn't care. I just wonder if later he might not care so much to excel because people aren't impressed by his efforts anymore.



Well, I know he's a good kid, and I suppose all that matters is that We as parents let him know we are proud of him.

Soo......as school has ended and thoughts go to next year, yeah, I worry. I still worry everyday how my second son will manage in 1st/2nd grade as a 5 year old among 6-8 year olds.

The last week of school I looked at him, I looked at his preschool classmates, and then I looked at the kids he'd being going to school with next year. I decided that he doesn't fit anywhere. He doesn't fit with the other preschool kids who were sucking on their hands, eating their shirts, and talking about poop, but then he didn't fit with these 6 and 7 year olds who seem just so mature and at ease with life. So where put him??

Then, I also worry about our oldest and how his Asperger's Syndrome is going to affect him in a much higher paced 3rd/4th grade class. Will his new teacher be understanding with a gifted yet slow at self managing person?

Worry worry worry.........you never know if you're making the right choices for your kids.....we just wait and see what will happen..........

Piano playing........

So, earlier we showed you the sheet music of the song our second son wanted to play. Remember, it was the one that had all the sharps and flats that I can't figure out, but he sure can. It is very entertaining to me to watch him play and see the weird expressions on his face as he does it.

So here is our 5 year old playing what he calls the "new version" of the March from the Nutcracker.

The Odd Child Out

Maybe not for all gifted kids, but for ours, it seems like they are always the odd one out. Most boys would rather be out playing sports or more boyish things, but our 2 boys would rather be inside reading or doing something pertaining to music.

You've read about our piano player. When he's not playing the piano, he wants to sing Karaoke, and he tells me he's interested in taking gymnastics.

Our oldest gave up on sports a long time ago. He would rather read read read, play on the computer, or his latest:

DANCE!

It doesn't matter that he's the only boy in the entire dance studio, he could care less! He wanted to dance, and so we let him. He is very open about his likes and dislikes, and he doesn't care what people think. He openly tells people he could care less about sports.

Maybe that's something we all need to learn from these smart kids---that it doesn't matter what other people think, or that you don't have to do the norm.

Day after day I try to get my oldest to match his clothes, or make him change his plaid shirt from his camo pants. He asks me why?? I don't have a decent answer for him. "They don't match! " I say.

"So?" He says. "Why does it matter?" Well, I guess it really doesn't matter. It's just what the world thinks is right or wrong, but really, why does it matter??

Maybe that's part of the brilliant mind--you don't conform to what others think or do. You can make your own decisions and your own discoveries.