Ever Hope for a "Normal" Child?

This may only make sense to those parents of gifted children, but do you ever wish you had a "normal child"?  

Our three older children all began reading very young and all three of them have ended up skipping a grade in school, but it has been a crazy road.  Trying to figure out what to do or not do when you know it's going to affect your child's future is not an easy thing.

While we are very proud of our gifted children, sometimes we wonder what it would be like if they were just "normal" or if they even struggled in school.  We've always been so focused on trying to figure out what we should do for our kids in school to better challenge them or help them not be bored or let them learn on their level that it gets tiring sometimes.  Is it really that important?  I mean, maybe we should have just let things be and left them alone to go through school with no changes.  They could have gone to Kindergarten, or my son could have gone to 5th grade.  They could all be in the same grade as kids their own age.  How would that be?  Would they really have been bored forever?  Would they have started to hate school?  Who knows.  

We look at our youngest daughter now and it's funny how we smile and are excited by maybe finally having a "normal" child academically.  That's silly to say, but it's true.  While each of our kids have surprised us, and we love them all, it seems like life might be easier if they could just go to school and be normal.  

   Our youngest daughter is only 3 and we figure she is just right on track for her age.  Well, actually for a short while we worried that she was a little behind in her learning, but I think it was just too hard to tell when all we've had to compare her with is her older siblings who have all been early learners.  Anyway, she is slowly learning her ABC's and she can write her name, and that is great.  While her brothers and sister were a bit more advanced at this same age, that was "not normal" for a regular 3 year old.  She surprised us the other day though.

It was quiet in her room and I walked in to see her working on this 50 piece puzzle at her desk.  I went over to see it almost completely done and I was confused.  It was like I was thinking, "Who else is home to have put this puzzle together?"  But there wasn't anyone else home.  She was in there all by herself, and not for very long, and she had figured out this whole puzzle herself?  How did she do that?  

OK, maybe it's just because I'm not a puzzle person, but I can't even get those little 25 large pieced puzzles together without getting frustrated!  Hence to say we were very impressed and surprised that she could do this 50 piece puzzle with small pieces on her own.  

Who is to say if she will be gifted like her siblings, and it doesn't really matter in the long run.  Maybe we'll finally get a "normal" child, and we'll be just fine with that.  No more teachers asking us to skip our kids grades or telling us they are "wasting our kids' time".  Normal could be good.  

Mature Academically, but Still a Little Kid

Our little girl is now in 2nd grade, a 6 year old with those who are mostly 7 turning 8.  It's crazy to think that there are many kids older than she who are just beginning 1st grade, while here she is in 2nd.  Where did the time go?  We worry that the time will come too soon where she won't want to be a little girl anymore.  Gone will be the times of my little ponies and princesses and the only thing important will be teen pop sensations, preteen books, makeup and fashion.  But how long can we hold off?  

One thing about our daughter, unlike our sons who have skipped grades, is that she is a social butterfly.  She just loves everyone and they all love her.  She still has friends from the short time she was in Kindergarten, and then she has so many friends in her new grade level.  She is never at a loss for play dates.  In fact, it is often that we have mom's knocking at our van window or calling to set up play dates with Jewelia.

While there are so many girls about 8 years old in her class who have began to change their interests, it is nice to see a few who are still young at heart.  On a recent play date, we were indeed happy as we saw that the little girl walking home with us to play had Dora the Explorer shoes on, and even happier when she wanted to push little baby doll strollers around outside.  I'm glad that some kids can still be kids.  

It seems like most kids are growing up way too fast.  I suppose it's easy when you have older brothers or sisters as an influence, but even then some kids who are an only child can move on to more adult interests a little sooner than they used to.  

As our kids have skipped grades and it sometimes feels like they've been pushed ahead to be older, we still think it is important that they can still be a kid.  It is interesting to see them reading, writing, and figuring out math problems way beyond their same aged peers, but then when it comes down to the simpleness of playing games and having fun, it doesn't matter so much.  

It will be interesting to see what happens as they get older.  Will they be forced to grow up too fast, or will they be lucky and find some friends who enjoy their time just being a kid?