Apparently DD is on the G and T register - I just know she's been flippin' hard work - anyone else?!

[loonpants]

DD has just started school. She's 4 years 3 months and already been put on the G and T register. Apparently her ability is outstanding across the board but the only area formally tested has been her reading, in which she scored at the 7 years 3 months level.

I'm beginnning to think this might be the reason she's been REALLY hard work. I mean, she's driven me bonkers with her need for stimulation and I'm starting to feel slightly vindicated for having found her so challenging.

I'm interested to know what other parents' experience of their G and T children were at the pre-school stage.

DD was a poor sleeper during the day, in fact she used to pluck at her eyelashes to keep herself awake.

She bored very quickly of toys. She actually didn't show much interest in baby toys and wanted constant entertainment from me instead.

She wasn't a smiley baby, so even when I entertained her, she just looked at me as though I wasn't working hard enough . She whined quite a lot when she was bored, which meant that (for example) a trip to the swimming pool would be a whole lot of faffing for about five minutes stiumlation before the whining started again.

She's 4 now, as I mentioned. Every day has to be filled with activity such as swimming, baking, doing crosswords.

I can't help wondering when this will all get easier - I presume when she begins to entertain herself more - I just know it's incredibly draining, as though she leeches the life from me, and as I have a four month old baby, it's all a bit much some days.

The baby looks like she's going the same way as well

Anyone care to share their experiences?

[witcheseve]

We didn't have G&T when DD was this age. I hadn't even heard of it until she got to secondary school. Teachers mainly said DD was average throughout primary, although she did well in tests. Secondary school did CAT's tests and she came out in the top 5% nationally.

I can relate to everything you have written. I found DD extremely hard work, needing constant stimulation, got bored easily, was hard to discipline in that she didn't respond in the way that I could see other children did. It was draining and I always felt a failure as a parent. She was also very headstrong, her DG found her behaviour challenging as she didn't respond to her old school parenting.

As a younger child she was a live wire and did enjoy being with other children which gave me a break when they came here or she spent time with them at their houses. She is an only.

However, she wasn't naughty as such just different. It all made sense I suppose when she was identified as very bright.

Once she hit puberty at aged 11 she completely chilled out and I have a lovely, caring teen, in the main, who would rather read, stay in watching films and do family things than hang around the streets, chasing boys etc. She doesn't enjoy spending too much time with other teens out of school and is a bit geeky but she does go out occasionally.

Hope this has helped.

[ShowOfHands]

My friend's ds is gifted, really quite exceptionally gifted. As a preschooler he was the gentlest, calmest, most loving and sensitive soul. He played well on his own, was independent yet friendly and was always in a sunny mood. Friend is a scientist, I do wonder whether she built him sometimes as he's just wonderful.

[loonpants]

see, I wouldn't say she's always on the move physically, but mentally she doesn't stop.

She wakes up at around 5.30am and (since the age of two) has woken around 5am so the 5.30 thing is a bonus.

She doesn't miss a trick.

I'm so tired.

It was good to read about the lovely chilled out teen. I was never interested in chasing boys either. I used to like staying home and watching "That's Life" on a Sunday night - what a weird child!

[Miggsie]

DD is brightand needs a lot of input...luckily she finds a lot of it from being very creative, she will sit for ages doing clay models and making her own puppets.

What was really useful was taking her to gym...and she found it DIFFICULT. She had to work at it and improve her concentration. This really did help to slow her down.

I have now shown her how to knit and she is struggling with that at the moment. I know this sounds odd, but I found that becuase she found things came so easily, something difficult actually got her attention.

I also bought her a lot of books on maths and physics which she sat and read.
Then I got her one on the natural world. Nice big books...they kept her quiet as well.

If your DD has an active brain she should be able to find things to get on with by herself and not rely on outside stimuli constantly.

[witcheseve]

I got a pleasant surprise when DD reached teens, I was expecting all the trouble I put my parents through.

I wouldn't have said DD was particularly on the go physically either, just needed lots of stimulation. She also loved adult company and still does. When friends came over she wanted to be involved in the conversations much to their annoyance.

She was a placid baby it was toddler/young child stage that was exhausting.

A couple of teachers hinted at ADD or whatever it is called nowadays. I did assume something was amiss (or not as it turned out).

Good idea to have lots of factual books available.

[EyeOfNewtToeOfFrog]

yes, I can relate to all of that as well. Have just realised DD is G&T, has always been very curious and bright, preferred older children's and adults' company, headstrong and constantly challenges authority, which is SO tiring at times. What a relief to find out that in her own category she is simply 'normal'! Seems like you have another one there, loonpants Chin up, and order a couple of books from amazon (search under gifted & talented) to find coping strategies for challenging behaviour.... good luck!

[Marne]

Dd1 is 5.5 and very bright (2 years ahead with reading, writing and maths), they don't have a G&T register at her school so i'm not sure if she is G&T.

She was a horrid baby, always unsettled, needed a lot of attention (still does), she was diagnosed with Aspergers last year (although she only has a few of the traits). Some days i dread picking her up from school as she is on the go until bed time, she asks 100 questions and doesn't stop talking. Last night she had to tell me all about dinosaurs including what they eat, where each dinosaur lived and how long ago the lived . She loves learning so much that she asks me to make her work sheets at the weekend (maths sums). I struggle to find her books to read and her room looks like a book shop.

[Marne]

Oh and she has loads of toys which she never plays with, she would rather read or do something with mummy (cook, gardening).

[mummydoc]

same here but interestingly my dd2 was a gorgeoulsy chilled out baby and a really lovely toddler but now aged 5 is HARD WORK . and she is very high IQ and workign at yr 2 level in reception, unfortunately school seems ot have made her even harder and her behaviour at home is impossible