Havibg you ever really RELISHED telling someone how BRIGHT and BRILLIANT your offspring is

[Eaney]

I have!!! When I went back to work after having DS some people actually said to me that my DS would be disadvantaged or others more subtly said that so and so's child was terribly disadvanaged cos their parents both worked.

Well DS was slow to crawl and walk and there they had there ammunition and I would get pointed questions about his walking/crawling. Somehow they missed the fact that he said his first words at about 8mths old.

I knew he was bright and knew I just had to wait patiently and eventually his light would shine. I now love telling certain people about his prowess. God I am sad I know but I do get satisfaction.

ANyine else have a story?

I make a point of never telling anyone in RL how brilliant my kids are because I know they'll think me smug and they probably won't be interested or believe me anyway.

I can never get anyone to listen for long enough about how brilliant and bright my children are

assuming you got these comments from family/friends eaney - way out of order!

No, b/c to me, it's like boasting about money - completely tasteless. Just as if someone is very rich, is someone is truly brilliant, not a word needs to be said - it just speaks for itself.

We tell grandparents daily how wonderful and talented our kids are, but thats probably because they think they are as wonderful as we do

Probably wouldn't gloat at school as would be afraid parents thought I was smug.

Oh God yes!!!
Especially the SIL. She thinks her DS is going to be the next Einstein. Well, my DS rolled over very young and is about to start crawling. Her DS cant even sit on his own yet and is 3 months older!!!!
Oh what a big head I seem to be getting.

MIL (spit spit spit). She was convinced that my children would be awful. She never thought I was good enough (or white enough) for her DS.

The joy in seeing her face when DS1 was reading at 3. Of course I boasted!!! Then I told her that I had read a study that said it all came down the maternal line. [smug b*tch emoticon]

Nope. I don't like this trend for stereotyping kids as bright/not bright when they are pre-school age.

How old is he, Eaney?

Exactly, feast! And it just always comes across as, well, crass, IMO.

I did with ds a bit as I was a single mum, poor, and my ds was the brightest in the school, it really caused a little friction when he kept getting picked for maths comps and stuff.
they had their revenge at sports day LOL
A sportsman he is NOT!

I'm their best cheerleader!!
but only to grandparents and my side of the family
and especially if the kids are listening in - nothing better than overheard praise

Without wishing to burst any bubbles here, reaching physical and verbal milestones at an earlier than average age does not necessarily mean a child will go on to be 'bright'.

Sad though, it all tails off as you get older. I can lie down for literally AGES now and nobody's interested

It's right and proper though that a mum should want to boast about her children and think they're brilliant. It's just not always wise to do it.

It's not that they don't notice hinker... it's that they're afraid you'll ask them to help you up! lol

I'm the Special Educational Needs Governor for the Bubble boys' school. Part of the role involves making sure that those children with special needs who are 'Gifted and Talented' are properly provided for. These children need and deserve as much suppport as those who may find formal learning difficult, for whatever reason (I refuse to use the C word - challenging).

I regularly have to field questions and (often) demands from parents who consider their child to be 'bright'. Sometimes they are, often they're not. It is important to remember that all children usually naturally shine in at least one area. What often happens is that parents 'hothouse' their child, Gifted and Talented children are those whose ability is there, whatever the parental input.

Not really - I don't like the competitiveness that exists between some parents about what stage their child is at, and how bright they are.

However, I'm more than happy to tell anyone who'll listen that I've got 2 great kids

bauble is this a state school? Do all schools have a governor specialising in this area?

bubble we were lucky ds was picked up at an early age and put on the G+T programme aged 6
The nature nurture thing is interesting too.
I knew he was clever, but I waited for the school to tell me too, rather than do the whole pushything.
I know we've been very lucky
I now have the other end as dd 3 is about to be statemented...
Support here for her has been tremendous. Lucky indeed

Mars - love the "maternal line" line, will remember for future usage.

Message withdrawn

I once started telling a story about how DS new all his colours blah blah blah, not intending to be smug, the conversation just sort of went that way. I immediately felt my face burning in fear of what I sounded like. I will never do it again. The thought of someone doing it purposefully or to shut someone else up makes me laugh.

Pie Spider Yes, it's a state primary. I do a termly visit to see how effective the provision is for children with special needs. The head teacher was bemused initially when I asked to see the G+T children too (we have four in the school). I think they are often overlooked TBH, yet their needs are as special as a statemented child. There was a case recently where a parent tried, and failed, to get a statement for their G+T child.

Epiffany, I'm really pleased that the school was supportive for your G+T DS and also for your DD3. There, unfortunately, seems to be a culture in the UK of 'doing down' those who are able (witness the media joy when a golden girl/boy fails). G+T children often become disruptive if they are not 'stretched' - not good for anyone.

completely agree expat. They only people I tell are the DD's themselves. I'm always telling them how fantastic they are.

But if you had people (family and friends) implying that your child was slow and underachieving wouldn't you ever want to say to them 'look you were wrong'.

DS is now 6 and hardly gets a look in with his Grandmother. All I have ever heard was how brilliant and talented his cousins were and generally either ignored DS or asked pointed questions about his lack of skills in whichever area they noticed. I am naturally the type to hide my light under a bushel and when friends notice something ds can do that their ds can't I always play it down.

DS is not Einstein but I do resent the fact that those people who should be positively disposed towards him found fault with him. It doesn't come naturally to me but I force myself and I do enjoy it.

Recently I told the mother of one of his magical cousins that DS was in a mixed yr1/2 class (he is yr 1). Is that cos of his birthday, she asked no I replied it's cos of his accademic achievements. You could hear a pin drop. A couple of years ago I would not have said this but I guess I am fed up now.