What Being A Smart Kid Gets You
I have been reading people's answer to the question "what does it feel like to be a child prodigy?" I noticed that a lot of the answers had a similar theme in social development. I'd never refer to myself as a child prodigy I guess the best way to describe me is what they call twice gifted now. I had a significantly higher than average IQ and I also had learning disabilities.
My experiences as a child and adult followed a lot of the same trajectory as many of the people who answered on the forum though. I read very early and my parents were advised to skip me kindergarten and first grade but my mom was concerned about how that would affect my social development so I was bored beyond belief in the early years of school. Where I differed from others who answered though is that school did not come easy. That sounds contradictory but while I had a great grasp of ideas and loved learning I suck at test, my math skills have always been sub par and I can't spell to save my life (hello learning disabilities)
Instead of getting any support for my weak areas I was told over and over that I needed to try harder, that I wasn't living up to my potential and that I was goofing off. It wasn't until university that I started getting help and for me at least it was too late. I was seriously disenchanted with formal educational settings and frustrated about working hard and seeing so little return.
I never understood how to study effectively and although I tried to memorize math stuffs I was the only kid in the fourth grade who never made the multiplication club (the incentive they gave kids to memorize their times tables through the twelves) After a while my teacher thought I just wasn't trying so they started giving me detention on club afternoons and I had to clean the class after everyone had left. Mind you in this same grade I was doing independent work from a high school literature textbook my teacher had provided and was given my own specially written tests and had to read and report on several books a week on top of what the rest of the class was doing.
In terms of my social development, leaving me amongst my age peers did not do a bit of good. From the time I started school until I graduated high school I was bullied to varying degrees, generally only had one friend a year and clueless about how to be with other kids. I much prefered the company of adults. In middle school I sometimes attended night college course with my dad and was taken seriously by both the professor and other students since I could understand the material and engage in class discussions.
Now as a middle aged (I guess I'm middle aged) adult I haven't achieved any of the lofty goals I set/had set for me. I never finished college, I never had a career, hell I had problems holding down a job at all. I married and had children younger than most in my age group (my husband was 6 yrs older) so when we got together with other family groups or at his work functions I had nothing in common with the other women and was often ignored after they learned I didn't have a job.
The pressure from feeling like I hadn't done enough was pretty heavy for a while until I realized that although my journey wasn't what was expected of me I was comfortable and dare I say even happy with my choices. I still read all the time and I love to just sit and think. My favorite computer activities are playing Words With Friends and reading blogs, people's lives have always intrigued me. I'm now a housewife living in a rural area with little contact with people. I blog when I think of it and write short stories and poetry of questionable quality. Most of the time that suits me fine because people still baffle me. I think being isolated from my peers so much as a kid/teen due to my parents religious beliefs simply exacerbated an existing issue. I've gotten a little better at social stuff over the years but not much.
My experiences as a child and adult followed a lot of the same trajectory as many of the people who answered on the forum though. I read very early and my parents were advised to skip me kindergarten and first grade but my mom was concerned about how that would affect my social development so I was bored beyond belief in the early years of school. Where I differed from others who answered though is that school did not come easy. That sounds contradictory but while I had a great grasp of ideas and loved learning I suck at test, my math skills have always been sub par and I can't spell to save my life (hello learning disabilities)
Instead of getting any support for my weak areas I was told over and over that I needed to try harder, that I wasn't living up to my potential and that I was goofing off. It wasn't until university that I started getting help and for me at least it was too late. I was seriously disenchanted with formal educational settings and frustrated about working hard and seeing so little return.
I never understood how to study effectively and although I tried to memorize math stuffs I was the only kid in the fourth grade who never made the multiplication club (the incentive they gave kids to memorize their times tables through the twelves) After a while my teacher thought I just wasn't trying so they started giving me detention on club afternoons and I had to clean the class after everyone had left. Mind you in this same grade I was doing independent work from a high school literature textbook my teacher had provided and was given my own specially written tests and had to read and report on several books a week on top of what the rest of the class was doing.
In terms of my social development, leaving me amongst my age peers did not do a bit of good. From the time I started school until I graduated high school I was bullied to varying degrees, generally only had one friend a year and clueless about how to be with other kids. I much prefered the company of adults. In middle school I sometimes attended night college course with my dad and was taken seriously by both the professor and other students since I could understand the material and engage in class discussions.
Now as a middle aged (I guess I'm middle aged) adult I haven't achieved any of the lofty goals I set/had set for me. I never finished college, I never had a career, hell I had problems holding down a job at all. I married and had children younger than most in my age group (my husband was 6 yrs older) so when we got together with other family groups or at his work functions I had nothing in common with the other women and was often ignored after they learned I didn't have a job.
The pressure from feeling like I hadn't done enough was pretty heavy for a while until I realized that although my journey wasn't what was expected of me I was comfortable and dare I say even happy with my choices. I still read all the time and I love to just sit and think. My favorite computer activities are playing Words With Friends and reading blogs, people's lives have always intrigued me. I'm now a housewife living in a rural area with little contact with people. I blog when I think of it and write short stories and poetry of questionable quality. Most of the time that suits me fine because people still baffle me. I think being isolated from my peers so much as a kid/teen due to my parents religious beliefs simply exacerbated an existing issue. I've gotten a little better at social stuff over the years but not much.
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