quite.
but it's the ones who do have the v bright children that get ridiculed around here. the utter contempt for the g&t board, etc etc.
(and yy, mole, we've all read carol dweck)
god, sparkling, you never got unwillingly embroiled in a playground discussion when an excited child flew out of yr1 with a new reading book? even though you tried to escape without anyone noticing?
never sat down and had a cup of coffee with a worried mum whose kid was getting asessed for whatever and asked how you helped dd read? or what level they were on?
not seen the thousands of angsty reading level threads on mn?
not had a mum cry on your shoulder because ds was in detention again because he lashed out at a kid that had been tautning him for weeks about being a loser because he could finish the set maths in five minutes and had had the temerity to mention it to the teacher tentatively to ask if there was something else he could do, like the next page in the workbook? for showing off?
higher level thinking indeed. it must be very relieving to be able to live life above the normal (abnormal?) trivia of the schoolyard.
does it last into adulthood? i know a few conversations i've had where it's been relevant that someone's child is a district judge finishing her phd in human rights. they weren't bragging, it just came up in context. i certainly didn't think 'christ, she should have said that differently so as not to offend my delicate sensibilities'. i said 'wow, that sounds amazing, you must be very proud', and i meant it.
i've had the same conversation with the parent of a guy i know who does the most amazing work with kids who have disabilities. i am humbled by his brilliance at what he does, and i tell everyone how fantastic he is.
why are people so mealy mouthed about other's achievements? it's great that we have kids who can do quadratic equations in yr r! fantastic!
it's great that there are kids who really are going to be the next andy murray (but hopefully win). it's utterly amazing that there are beautiful beautiful dancers and musicians and mathematicians and writers and chefs and public speakers, of all ages, young and old. why do we not celebrate it? why on earth if someone says something positive about our child, do we mutter in deprecation, of grinning broadly and saying 'thank you. it is great, isn't it'?
largely because of the attitudes on this board, tbh.
if we all celebrated success, the earth would not implode.