Gifted - but what should I do?

[Lallas' Mum]

I know most parents think their child is gifted BUT.... I think my 3 yr old is. I have check and rechecked checklists on signs of a gifted child and the only criteria he doesn't meet his lack of need to sleep. I have a hard time getting him to sleep but when he finally falls asleep he will sleep from 7.30 to 7am and will also have between 2-3 hours sleep during the day.
I have been having a lot of trouble with him being naughty. He is forever getting into things and doing things he knows he shouldn't and I am quite positive he does it out of boredom. If he has your attention or he is fully engrossed in something he is fine. But when he gets bored which is usually when I am trying to do housework or look after the other two boys he gets into trouble. He loves to role play, whether it be playing the role of another person or an animal. His attention to detail in mimicking another person is exceptional. He is very curious in knowing Why? But on things like why lighting is formed etc. I only have to tell him once or twice and he remembers and will blow other adults away with his knowledge and understanding of things. I am constantly being told he is like a little old man in the way he speaks. He uses adult phrases in context and uses descriptive words like amazing, fabulous, delicious, extremely, etc. His story telling ability is astonishing. Other adults and myself or usually astounded by the stories he tells. I could keep going but I will get to my point now.

He is quite shy at kindy and I don't think he is being "challenged" (for want of a better word) enough. He loves to know how things work and he loves being creative with his imagination but because he is a little reserved at kindy it is hard to give him the opportunity to reach his potential. I am against pushing a child into anything but I would love to know how to feed his hungry little mind without going overboard. I have a 21mth old and a 10week old I need to amuse also.

Any advice on activites or books I should read or any other resources I should explore would be greatly appreciated.

[melfunction]

Maybe try the MENSA association. They will know where to point you :)

[Lallas' Mum]

I have just sent an email to mensa asking for some advice - thanks for the suggestion Melfunction

[sugar n spice]

your little man sounds like my 5yr old boy. Some people say he has an old soul or he talks like he's gifted

[Rell]

Personally I am not a fan of labeling kids as gifted. I just believe that all kids develop at different rates and will show tallents in different areas.

Your DS sounds like my DD at 3 years. I know she was and still is advanced for her age but like your DS she lacks a little in social skills. While her oral comunication skills are excelent in an enviroment where she feels comfortable, at school (she just started prep this year) she is often very quiet and reserved. Her teacher took me aside the other day and said she believes that part of her problem is that she belives my DD already has noticed she is more advanced then the other kids in her class. This may also be a reason your DS is shy at Kindy. Luckly for my DD has a GREAT teacher who is putting together special homework for her and is also going to help her develop socialy.

Some ways we help to keep DD stimulated is to borrow non fiction books from the library (she loves learning about the human body), borrow reader books from the library, get numeracy and phonic workbooks from bookstores and work through them. There is a great series on the abc called "the magic school bus", it is aimed at primary school kids but are fantastic at exploring the world of science.

Good luck, try talking to his kindy teacher and see what they say

[jessgray]

the day that i got labeled as academically ahead was the day i started to rebel in class and started to dumb down to fit in :(
there are gifted ppl who dont talk very much for example einstien didnt talk til he was about 5 so i have been told. mozart was deaf. my ds1 shows signs of being gifted in the creative ways but i dont want to label him not after my expierence. just let your child be a kid. and encourage their talents witout putting pressure on them to do things.

[bronny-jane]

my dd 2 is amazing, i keep being told how smart she is... a little too smart, she figures things out so quickly:laughing:

she goes to daycare for 3 hours once a week to hang out with kids while im not there, she used to be shy and akward, now she has opened right up, its so good for her, she loves the interaction, its boosted her so much

[babyboo]

sounds like my dd - she is 3.5 and her speach is amazing for her age. Even when she was two it was comented on how good her speech was.

I often get told by others that she is more like a 5 year old than a 3.5yr.

I have the same thing - I think dd gets bored alot of the time, especially in this daycare she is in at the moment. she needs to be mentally challenged. Im moving her into a preschool very soon.

she has an impecable memory and sense of direction. she seems so much older than she is. mimics like no tomorrow, knows what she wants and how to go about it, is very very clever. They just seem to have a higher capacity.

Might be worth doing a search on Indigo Children - its an interesting read/topic.