Hi everyone,

I know this has been up for debate for many years to test or not to test. I know the general agree-ance has been  not to but a week ago I caved and had her tested ans we got the results today.

I decided to have her tested because I was so sick and tired of having the debate with Miss S's teaches about how smart she is and continually seeing her under-perform all the time or squirm and get out of doing work. She also has a terrible time being able to stay focused and losing her temper which is holding her back from moving up.

A quick background of us. I have been a brillkids member since 2008 (since she was born) and she is now 5 1/2

The results are as confirmed by an educational psychologist who conducted the Weschler Pre-School and Primary School Intelligence Test.

Miss S is as good or better than 99.8% of the population her age and she is now eligible for Membership with MENSA and  her IQ can be anywhere between 137-148 on any given day. So on a bad day being over tired is 137 and fully functioning is 148.

I can tell you my husband and I are shocked that her iq is that high. We are now going to be working with the psychologist to help S manage her emotions as we have both noticed that she is arguing with authority all the time and in general can be quick to lose her temper.

My husband and I both believe for her full potential to be reached we need to work on her controlling that temper and stubborness of hers.

If any of you have any advice or questions you would like to ask feel free. I'm still learning really what all this means and getting over the shock (and I know I shouldn't be she has been an LR kid since it first came out) But now I have the piece of paper that says yes she really is as smart as what I thought and now you need to listen.

I'm sure there are kids on this forum that are higher than that. I got her tested so I can now have the authority to say that you need to provide my child with a different education and what can you do.

Anyway thought you might like to know

Kimba

Hi akalori,

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I am currently undertaking a degree in Early Childhood Education. Wow I never thought I would be so pushed to my limits but I want to be a great teacher.

I have been thinking about writing a piece on the Mummy Wars something that is a bit emotional topic for me. But I will certainly take on board your suggestions.

Now to find the time.......


Kimba

Thank you for all those suggestions in books.

I can't tell you enough how terrified I am of this behaviour because I see her chuck it in the moment something even looks like it will be tough.

There is a long road ahead of me I know to correct this behaviuor and help her not be so fearful of making mistakes.

Kim

Hi Everyone,

My eldest child has always been a strong-willed child and at times her attitude has gotten in the way of her learning. Now she is absolutely on all levels not even willing to try anything at all especially if she thinks it will be too hard and even more unwilling to instruction to help her.

I have seen this start to deteriorate in the final term at school and her school report even states that she is unwilling to complete work.(Montessori school and I will be taking this up with them when school returns in the new year) So as you can imagine  I am starting to get very worried about this absolute stubbornness to not persist at anything and chucks it all in and has an almighty temper tantrum to go along with it.

Miss S is driving me crazy because I am really worried that this attitude will be the only thing that continues to persist in her life and I need ideas to combat this attitude of" I must get it straight away or its not worth doing" in case it really turns into something she will continue to do for the rest of her life.

Any ideas on how to teach PERSISTENCE will be my appreciated.

Kim xxx

Thanks for all the ideas.

Yes Soccermom Arts and crafts are a big hit but I have delegated the arts and crafts to grandparents. I love the idea of a marble run so think I am going to put that on the list. Also I have purchased Roominate and Goldie Blox for the older one but stuck for the younger one.

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

Kimba

I love the Kabbalah kids program. I am working on lesson one and have joined the kabbalah website myself. I think spirituality is so important. Great to see another Brillkids Mum in the program

I think in terms of being overprotective has a lot more to do with the media than what is actually happening in society.

The media makes a mountain out of a molehill. In terms of society now it is actually alot safer now than it was 100 years ago. It is just that the media reports crime so much more so we feel un safe.

@ Manda. I  understand how overprotective you are but take it from a daughter of a cop if you overprotect your kids too much the minute they can get out and rebel they will or they will become more like me too afraid as an adult to try anything new to take risks or trust strangers because when I grew up no-one was safe. It has taken me a long time as an adult to start trusting people and not everyone is bad or out to get me.

While I have no scientific evidence of this I often wonder if we delay the 'growing up' because we are now having less children and instead of having the large numbers we used to, so we 'cherish'  their childhood so much more and hold on to it because we the parents have a hard time saying good bye to the baby. I know, I baby my youngest daughter way too much when I never did that with my first and at times pushed her along because I had a baby to deal with and couldn't deal with two babies.

As in our great grandparents day they could be one of 8-12 kids and therefore had to do things on their own sooner then an only child or one of two children. I know that I make my kids breakfast and I know they can make their own but I don't let them because part of me still needs to be needed and maybe with the forming of adolescence is our need to keep them children for longer to fulfill our needs to be parent . Just a thought

Very very interested.

Hi Ya

I'm in Adelaide to and welcome to the Early Learning Journey.

Starfall and Reading Bear are great. Also All about Spelling. From the Institute for the excellence in writing is also great as it has flashcards on all the letters and the sounds they make. It also has an Alphabet you can move around to help your child learn to spell which helps to remember the sounds the letters make.

Hope this helps
Kimberley

I have a very hard decision to make...

I love the Montessori school I am at (mainly because of the parent network that I have formed) but there are some things I am really unhappy with and some other things that have been brought to my attention by other parents whomn have older children in other cycles.

Here are my issues.

I help out with reading in the my DD1's class every tuesday. It seems that I am the only one who is changing over the readers and then the children have the same reader for the rest of the week (as no-one changes the readers over until the day I am there) I am also the one putting children up levels when they need to go up. I also have had to supply my daughter with books to read at school as her teacher wont.

Every tuesday I watch my daughter spend the 1st hour of the morning crafting or colouring in (apparently colouring in is considered a handwriting activity) Even though she can write but puts up such a stink about learning how to do it properly I think they let her go. And keep going on about how she just turned 5 and she doesn't need to be writing properly yet even though she has completed 3 terms (30 weeks) of school. I am unimpressed about all this crafting first thing in the morning when I feel that it should be dedicated to doing academics and when her work is done she can craft to her hearts content. (Am I being unrealistic in having this expectation at a Montessori school)

On the + side she has gone really far in Maths and that is only because I have sat with her and helped her to do it. She is now doing long multiplication which I think is great but I am also totally frustrated.

My little Miss is extremely happy at school. She gets up and gets dressed and never complains at all about going which I think is a major plus.

It has also come to my attention that there is a Major Bullying problem which is not being addressed. Also recently the staff of our open plains zoo complained to one of the parents that our school (while have the smartest kids) also were the worst behaved children on the camp. There is one boy who seems to be the ring leader and others that follow. They write rude words on other children's work and torment some of the girls about their bodies and private parts. (which I think is totally unacceptable) and parents who have complained but have been told to be patient because these children are from a 'public school' not we are working with the parents and the principal of the school to improve the children's behaviour.

So does one quit while there ahead or do I wait and see if things improve or do I quit the school and bring Miss S home to homeschool and also not give miss A the Monte pre school. (Which I really want her to have)

Decisions, Decisions.

Kimba15

Another great book is How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie

Im very interested to. Happy to contribute on a written forum

Love the skates idea and its perfect too because hubby plays inline hockey. SO he can teach them. Have had the toy kitchen and neither play with it anymore so it is going.

I'm going to add more to the craft corner and science stuff. but other than that I had not thought of anything else.

Any other ideas would be much apperciated.

I am stumped this year as to what to get my girls for xmas.

They recently have seemed to have grown out of everything and I need ideas to help keep them busy without resorting to disney to help entertain them and keep them engaged through out the holiday period as we have 8 weeks off of school over the xmas period.
 SO I am all ears on  (educational)DVD selections/ books/crafts/ outdoor activites/ Art/ anything to keep them busy as they grow bored quickly.

Thanks for any ideas.

Kimba

Welcome Back,

I think you will really enjoy the thread on Mid-brain activation. Very interesting read.

So good to have you hear Waterdreamer it has been too long.

Kimba