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Original poster

What do you tell your children about G &T programmes?

33 replies

lionheart · 13/11/2007 14:18

I went to a workshop for G&T children at the weekend.

As I walked in some parents (two sets) with a group of four or five children arrived.

The children were marching along chanting, "We are the chosen! We are the chosen! We are the chosen!"

It was horrid in so many ways, so I was wondering what other parents have said to their children about G&T.

Something tells me that these parents may have got it wrong.

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RosaTransylvania · 13/11/2007 14:22

WHAT!!!
I tell my children nothing about G&T programmes. DD1 doesn't even know she is on one. Mind you, neither do I, officially. She mentioned in passing that she and five others in her year get taken out of class for a special literacy session twice a week by a member of staff whom I know to be the G&T co-ordinator. I asked her if it was fun/interesting and she said yes. End of.

binkleandflip · 13/11/2007 14:24

why on earth would children care? It seems to matter only to parents tbh - and on a grand scale it appears.

ChasingSquirrels · 13/11/2007 14:24
Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 14:25

I hadn't told my DS he was on a G&T register but he wanted to know why the children were saying this stuff.

It's easier with the things they do in school, I think, because they just see it as part of an ordinary school day.

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Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 14:25

It was horrible.

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binkleandflip · 13/11/2007 14:27

horrible and just very bizarre!

Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 14:28

I can't quite fathom the mentality of the parents because it can only have come from them.

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binkleandflip · 13/11/2007 14:31

absolutely, like I say it seems to mean a great deal to the esteem of the parents (as if they had some part in their children's genetic capability apart from contributing cells lol)

If you have a G & T child it means they catch on quicker at school which is great. Can mean absolutely diddly in the big wide world though so they really need to get over it and stop brainwashing their kids that way, it'll do them no favours at all.

Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 14:33

Why would you tell your children that, even in jest, when they might take it back to school with them?

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FrannyandZooey · 13/11/2007 15:10

How very very bizarre. I can only think it was a joke and they hadn't really thought it through.

How was the workshop, other than this?

KerryMum · 13/11/2007 15:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 15:46

Workshop was great. They taught them how to play this fabulous game.

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Dinosaur · 13/11/2007 15:58

lionheart, are you serious?? That beggars belief.

I haven't really said anything to the DSs about G&T apart from something along the lines of if I ever hear them boasting or bragging about it, I will have their guts for garters.

Dinosaur · 13/11/2007 15:59

Go looks interesting though - I think DS1 would like it. He is currently mad about board games, Risk being the favourite.

Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 16:11

Not kidding, unfortunately.

It was the first time we'd been to something like that. Almost jumped back in the car and reversed out of there.

They have beginner kits (the one he has cost £2.50) and you can play it two ways depending on how ambitious/confident you are.

Actually, you can make your own grid, add some counters and download the basic rules.

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Blandmum · 13/11/2007 16:20

I've come across a few kids like this while I've been running G and T workshops and outreach. the vast majority of them are nice kids, but some come across as utterly arrogant, and I get the feeling that they are similar to the kids that you describe.

In the last session I helped to run for NAGTY 38 kids were excellent, 1 was an utter pain, and one went along with the utter pain. the only negative comments that we had from the 38 were about the behaviour of the 2.

And it had nothing to do with them 'being bored' or 'understimulated' and everything to do with them having an over inflated idea about their abilities and importance.

Blandmum · 13/11/2007 16:23

Dinosaur, if you kids like stratgy games , can I recomend one that my mate has designed and is marketing, called 'Caveman' you have to use resources to build up your trobe of cavepoeple. We playtested it, and my kids love it....my only gripe is that it has dinosaurs *and& cavemen, but as my mate says, they have to market the game as best they can

ahundredtimes · 13/11/2007 16:32

Were they joking do you think? How old were they? It sounds like they'd all made a joke about it, and were being ironic in a rather G&T way.

Or is that too optimistic?

I always think people are joking and slap them on the knee and fall off my chair laughing, and then they're sitting there all pale and with pursed lips and I have to jump back on my chair again and nod and frown instead.

Blandmum · 13/11/2007 16:34

you might be right. but having met a few of this type I'm also a bit

SoMuchToBits · 13/11/2007 16:34

Haven't told our ds he is on the G & T register, he is only 6, nearly 7 and IMO doesn't need to know at this stage.

Blandmum · 13/11/2007 16:37

TBH telling kids that they are on a regester at an early age is hubris.

Sometimes kids will 'drop off' the reg, and the last thing that you want is a child of 10 feeling a 'failure' (which they are not but YKWIM)

ahundredtimes · 13/11/2007 16:45

The register thing is nonsense.

At some point I could see that it would be okay to say if they're really unusually clever something along the lines of 'you're really good at this, and it comes easily to you, and that's great. But X is brilliant at tennis isn't he? ' because I do think some v.bright kids do feel a bit different - they probably are a bit 'different' - and its better to acknowledge it. But in a healthy way.

Or no?

Dinosaur · 13/11/2007 16:51

lionheart thanks for that, he adores making his own board games too, so I will try that out (when I find time, which sadly I probably won't for a while ). so he'll have to stick with wiping the floor with me at Blokus in the meantime!

martianbishop that game also sounds awesome!

Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 16:58

The children were probably seven and eight year olds.

(Blokus is good).

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Original poster
lionheart · 13/11/2007 17:05

I haven't said anything to DS about G&T for all these reasons. He wanted to know what the children meant.

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