If we were having coffee, I would tell you that renovating a house without DIY skills is so much easier than parenting a gifted kid.

It’s just that… I don’t know. I don’t know how to motivate him. I don’t know how to help him. I don’t know how to create that environment where he feels safe enough to fail. 

And I’m racking my brain why. Why? WHY? Why does he shut himself off from school, from people? Why is he so afraid to show himself and try? 

My gifted kid still hates school. He still thinks he should know it all instead of learning it all. He hates to do his school work, pretending that he doesn’t care. He’d rather fail a test without studying for it than fail it with it. Because then it would be his fault, showing his shortcomings.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I feel I’m failing as a parent. Where did I go wrong? And should I’ve done something sooner? 

The task ahead is hard and difficult, especially as he is fighting me. He doesn’t want to. Sometimes I feel I don’t want to. Let him fail his school. Let him grade down so school is easier. But he deserves more. He deserves to be happy at school and I truly believe it’s at the level he’s at. I know I will be failing helping him with that. It almost makes me give up beforehand. But I can’t. He’s my kid! And he can’t either. It’s about his future.

Spike that next round of coffee, will you? 

On the other hand, Mini, also known as the Little Dictator is my daily dosage of laughter. He now has his first Kindergarten crush and proposed to the ‘mom’ girl in class. You know, the older girl who takes care of everyone, helping the teacher where and wherever she can? ‘Because she’s sweet and has hair like Elsa.’ He made me sing a bed time song ‘I want to get married with Noella’ and gave her a drawing as a love letter. I literally have to hold my tears when I see him looking at her in class. It’s just too cute!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you how smart the Little Dictator is. And that I’m hoping that he’s just normal smart, instead of being gifted. We’d would be having completely different kind of parenting issues with this hot headed one! He was talking with the husband and Junior on making candy:

Mini:  Dad? Do you know how they make candy?

Husband: No, I don’t. Do you?

Mini, triumphantly: Yes! You need sugar and a color. Like banana, strawberry, kiwi…

Junior: Those are flavors, not colors.

Mini: Is too. Kiwi is a color.

Junior: Is not. Kiwi is a flavor.

(Is too, is not discussion repeated)

Mini: Is too! Kiwi is green!

End of discussion. 

Those kids, eh.

Xoxo – Irene