Excellent at arguing, can't lose games or cope with mistakes!

[spaghettihoopsagain]

Does this sound like your child and if so, please tell me how you cope! Ds, year 3, is a challenge (not sure if gifted but he taught himself to read age 3, read Tolkien in reception, has spelling age off the scale, so over 13.5 yrs, constantly asks questions, studies everything for fun etc). If he gets something wrong, he marks his work as right (ticks over a dot or cross, angrily), he argues and argues attempting to get his own way - often to win a game (getting desperate last year he said "well today the winner is the loser and the loser is the winner"! - yer right!). He needs boundaries that people stick to - and we certainly do stick to them, clearly explaining the consequences - which we then enforce and he argues against them. Arrghhh. Any wisdom?

Is he also the fastest runner, the best goalie, amazing at Judo?
It's good to put ourselves outside of comfort zones. Martial arts are brilliant for teaching kids how to not be the best but still be their own best, iyswim, and to listen & do as they're told, not argue back.

Thanks Blipbip - I found your post encouraging!

and ILoveDolly - again encouraging as sometimes I feel that we are alone with our struggles and I find it hard looking back over the weeks when I don't see improvements - but I know the truth is that there are improvements, but I just have to look back months not weeks!

Try reading 'It's Not Fair - parenting the bright and challenging child' by Gill Hines. She makes some really useful points and has a lot of ideas that might help you.

Being argumentative is not confined to the gifted children. Lots of school documentaries often focus on those children who disruptively voice their opinion back to the teachers. It happens more in the less able streams. I have met able children who are quiet and less able ones who could argue the hind legs off a donkey. As with most things, it is enabling them to find a balance; the quiet ones often need to be encouraged to stand up from themselves as well as the assertive ones being encouraged to listen more.