Wednesday, May 11, 2011

SHAMELESS BRAGGING

You know that sweet Big Kid that I enjoy torturing?

I just found out he has an IQ of 154. Literally off the chart that the school printed up for me. Einstein had a 160 IQ.

As they presented this information, they sat across the conference table from me in a line beaming with joy as if they were about to give me a free car. A few people were late to the meeting and came in asking for updates, "Who are we here for again?"

"Ms. Ashley's Big Kid."

"Oh. What was the score?"

"154." Grin.

"154?!?"

"Yep."

"Really? 154??"

"Yes."

Grins all around.

The county's head school psychologist told me that they were advised never to use the words "Highly Gifted" when talking to a parent but said he felt it was imperative in this case that I knew he was "Highly Gifted"--not just intelligent, not just gifted but extremely unique in his giftedness. I hate that word, by the way, makes me roll my eyes so hard, but it was hard not to jump up and down like a winner on the Price is Right. I maintained my composure because I'm pretty sure moms of geniuses don't jump up and down like maniacs.

But even though NOTHING has changed from this morning, when I was dancing in the kitchen just to irritate him, I feel enormous pressure suddenly. I feel like I am failing him. I feel like I don't know what to do with him. He's probably smarter than every person in that meeting this morning but WE'RE the ones coming up with a life plan for him?

I don't know.

I'm pretty sure I need a shirt that says "MY KID HAS AN IQ OF 154" but that's as far as I've gotten in terms of a life plan.

16 comments:

Jill Ann said...

Totally get the shirt. :) I have been for a long time and he sounds incredibly intelligent and sweet. Ccongrats.

bootsie q. mcgromblestein said...

I don't know my 8 year old son's IQ, but I do know that when they tested his reading level, he was beyond college at the age of 6, and he frequently astounds me with things he knows. My favorite was when I asked him to tell me about Jupiter and he responded, "The god or the planet?"

My suggestion is to not worry about the life plan pressure and just encourage him to be who he is, always. Kids like him get bored easily if they have nothing to stimulate them mentally, so keep an eye out for that and help him find something to interest him. He is so awesome and is lucky to have a mom who knows how lucky she is to have him.

Get the shirt. Make sure the bratty neighbor kid knows that while his house may be superior, his intelligence is not. haha

Drew's Mom said...

Way to go Big Kid.. and Congrats to you for being the mom of a super genius! But I agree, it must be tough to have the pressure that comes with it. Just keep dancing!

Julie H said...

I can understand the feeling of pressure! Just keep him busy I'm guessing.

Jill Ann said...

Meant to say long time reader. My 4 year old was dumping wild flower seeds on the front lawn as I typed. Ugh!

Amy and Scott said...

Clearly you have done an AMAZING job with him so far! Don't doubt yourself, just keep going down the same track. You are OBVIOUSLY doing something, if not everything, right! Including the dancing, which is hilarious. Love that Big Kid is the genius you always knew he was.

Sam said...

He's not my son, but I've been reading your blog so long that I feel like I know him. And I am proud FOR you! Wow, Big Kid! You never cease to impress!

AlexisMorgan said...

Congratulations to Big Kid and to his amazing Mom! As the mother of a child like this, I can tell you that he will keep you on your toes, and just hold on for the ride. My son just turned 21 last week and when I told him how proud we were of who and what he is, he said he just did what he was natural for him and he takes pride in his achievements. We never pressured him for the good grades, but he put the pressure on himself. So, just enjoy Big Kid and let him read, explore, and learn about anything and everything that catches his interest! Oh - our son may be coming to Florida next year to start his Ph.D., so I may be emailing you to ask for advice on locations.

Theresa said...

Yay for big kid! . . . and mom and dad who created him. Nice work!

Jennifer said...

That is amazing! Congrats to all of you.

I think I would feel the same way you do. I took a trip to New York one time with a bunch of different people. One woman brought her daughter who had tested out at the genius level. She went to a special school full of kids like her. She was... seven at the time. I think. We had to play thinking games with her the entire time we were there. She was so smart her mind wouldn't settle. I felt bad for her mom because what do you do with a kid that smart? I don't know. But you are a great mom and I'm sure you will do just fine. Probably the one thing you can teach him about is how to relax and take it easy. After the meeting it is obvious he is going to have plenty of people pushing him. (And I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way.)

Christine said...

So, I tested in this range when I was big kid's age. My recs:
- DON'T TELL HIM! I knew I was smart, but not how smart. I heard about it enough from classmates, I didn't know until I was accepted to a very highly ranked med school what the number was. (I was 17) I already felt different, I'm glad I didn't know how different.
- Treat him just like you have been. Let him pick his own interests and go with them but encourage him to be diverse. I was allowed to go to Limnology camp (seriously, how nerdy is that? It's the study of lakes if you're wondering. I was 9.) but I was made to try out dance, gymnastics, swimming and golf.
- My parents emphasized that it wasn't my actual grades that mattered, but whether I had tried my hardest. Sure, I got an A on that project, but I threw it together the night before. Did I really get the experience I should have?

I'm curious what Little Kid's IQ is. I'm betting he's up there too!

Bethany said...

I'm almost finished with my Master's program in Gifted Education, and "highly gifted" students really are in a class of their own. What does the school plan to do with BK? Just leaving him in normal classes is VERY likely to burn him out on school. Sad to say, but a large percentage of gifted boys drop out of school at early ages, because it just doesn't work for them. Skipping him a grade next year should be a viable option, but if it were my kid, I'd look into charter schools or a Montessori that offers scholarships or barters for tuition.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on BK, you and your husband are probably no slouches in the brain department - it's genetic you know.

Anyhow, as my mother would say, it's all Bull Shift. Just encourage his interests and it will all work out. In 1984, my husband took a Commodore 64 and made a multi-tasking operating system, he was 15. His parents were just your average working stiffs (secretary and draftsman). He's now the lead system architect for the software for the Smart Grid.

Or he could be me, I recently found out my IQ is 161 and I can't stand most people, spend my time reading how to books, sewing, and gardening - Right now I am teaching myself to build furniture. LOL.

Keep your house full of things for him to do because school is not going to keep him engaged - Fat Brain toys has neat things. Kerry.

Anonymous said...

Oh one more thing - Bethany is so right. I have Miss Gi in the "hippie school." It's a progressive program within our public school system. You should check into it. Our school system is Upper Arlington, OH and the school is Wickcliffe Progressive. Harvard University was in over last summer studying the program.

They stopped testing Gi when they got to high school reading so they are working with her to expand her writing skills while the rest of the class works on reading.

Instead of geometry class, they are designing a handicapped accessible playground and learning the geometry through that. The kids that are advanced take the more difficult aspects of the project.

It's very student driven. A kid might bring in something to share and that leads to a science unit. Kids also are allowed to work in the way that suits them. Some kids spread their crap all over the floor and others have this neat little structured area.

Sorry to write so much but education is big in our house. Kerry.

Unknown said...

That's really great! My oldest has always shown signs of being incredibly bright and I already feel pressured to provide him with the best mental stimulation possible and he's nowhere NEAR the age for formal schooling! (He is 3.5). I can't imagine how challenging it must be when your child is older. Have fun; he's going to take you on quite the journey, I'm sure!

Renee said...

I already said this on FB but I'll say it here too. Duh. Lol. I mean that in the nicest way too. :) But we've known he was super brilliant for years now! :) So proud of him.