were you or your DH/P labeled "gifted" as a child?

[meowee]

Just curious-- I was in a gifted program but ended up having serious social and psychological problems in school. DH wasn't in a gifted program unless being a mellon scholar counts?

[2Sweeties1Angel]

I was "gifted" for some unknown reason. Actually, I think it was because I liked to read and we all know freakish that is. I never had social problems but I was pretty much voted class weirdo (not in a bad way). I preferred it that way. I have bipolar disorder, but that has nothing to do with "gifted" status, I don't think. My IQ tested at genius level because I'm good at taking tests, so maybe I'm so smart I'm .

[EVC]

I went to a gifted school from 4th-12th grade which, in my opinion, was the best possible place for me.

[Ravin]

I was in a gifted program in elementary, but was still becoming a discipline problem because of boredom in 3rd-4th grade because the program in that school district was really lame (as opposed to the one before we moved when I was in 2nd). We're talking sit around with logic puzzles lame, in a computer lab where we never used the computers because the teacher didn't know how. My parents sent me to a self-paced private school starting in 5th and after 7th I started high school back in PS, honors track (skipped 8th). Then I went to an early college admittance program and washed out for a low GPA (got a social life that year, long story, but also didn't have a clue how to study as I'd never had to in regular PS).

DH was one of those who SHOULD have been in some sort of gifted program or magnet school (as he lived in a big city, such things were available), but was forced to just go to the regular public schools and wound up barely graduating because he (in his words) decided he had better things to do his senior year, such as work. He'd skip class then come in for the exams and make A's on them, allowing him to pass.

We both wound up in the Navy's Nuclear Power Training Program, which is how we met. If it wasn't for public schools' letting down bright kids, I swear they'd never recruit enough for that program!

I don't think either of us were exceptionally gifted, but definitely we were both above average/accelerated, learning to read before school, etc.

[maxmama]

Yes. And both got labeled underachievers!

[LeftField]

No. The schools we attended did not have GATE programs. I didn't know what "gifted" meant until I was an adult. My dh did fine in school. I was a lazy, underachieving kid who didn't work up to her potential which is baffling because she really could do anything if she really applied herself. See? You don't need a label to create guilt and unrealistic expectations. : I have no baggage or issue with the gifted label. It's just a tool, as someone wisely said, that can be used for positive or really negative things. The analogy that was made that you can use a hammer to bash someone's head or build a house. You can also bash someone's head without using a hammer.

[Charles Baudelaire]

I was labeled gifted, but not in a program because my school didn't have one. The closest that it came was admission to Nat'l Honor Society, which was done back then by an IQ test, but it was looking for global giftedness and frankly, I am not a math brain.

It never did me much good.

[eilonwy]

My husband was never formally identified as gifted, and never went to a school that had a gifted program. He just spent a lot of time being bored, reading books, and thinking that school was a waste of time and energy.

I was formally identified (even though I'm not white or wealthy and didn't live in a white and/or wealthy area, ever), but it was all very hit-or-miss (usually miss). My needs were never met in public or private school. For a very long time, I thought that this was my fault. It wasn't until very recently (within the past two years) that I came to understand that in my particular case, there really was nothing that school could have done for me short of radical acceleration, and that my mother had no means of advocating for it, even if she'd understood and accepted the need.

[lasciate]

I was, he wasn't. Both of us had special schooling, him in the form of a higher academic level school followed by a science-specific high school, me in the form of an 'Academically Talented' program for grades 5-8. True to the name, most of the kids I went to school with were academically talented, not gifted. There were a couple of us who were truly gifted, and I was one.

[jkpmomtoboys]

Both dh and I were in a gifted program, though dh dropped out in 5th or 6th grade because it was afterschool only and he couldn't see the point of the extra work...

[USAmma]

Neither of us. Dh was born/raised in India and he is bright but probably not what I would say is gifted.

I did very poorly in school due to social and emotional problems related to my family situation at the time and my poor health. Missed a lot of school and was behind. I am sure they never thought to test me. But funny thing is, later I was given IQ tests, I think around age 10, as part of an eval for a custody battle between my parents. I scored very high both times I was given the test. Everyone was very surprised and after that test dad started homeschooling me during summers and vacations and I started to do way better in school. My early teachers would have been surprised to see me in honors classes and NHS since I was barely passing in the early grades and a daydreamer. I'm pretty sure I'm not gifted.

[Katana]

I was labeled gifted in second grade. They started urging my mom to skip me ahead in K, but didn't actually test me till second grade.

I was sent to a special school from third-seventh grade. It was a lot of homework, a lot of pressure, and no fun.

Once I hit eigth grade, I said forget it. No more "gifted" classes. I was in accelerated or AP ones, but just did enough to be on the honor roll.

I put all my energy into sports, as they were something that challenged me.

Dh was never labeled gifted, in fact, he was an underacheiver, and did horrible in school. He was a behavior problem, too.

He's much more gifted than I am, in my opinion.

[Mama2Bug]

I was in the gifted program, but was also labeled as having a learning disability called Dyscalculia (difficulties with math, amongst other things). It was kind of weird, because I would be in the "gifted" classes all day, but have to go to the special "LD" room for math. I really hated it because the "normal" kids hated me for being "gifted" but the "gifted" kids hated me for being "stupid."

I had no self-confidence until high school, when everybody blended together based on what you chose to take. Switching schools helped too.

[Shiloh]

Yes. And both got labeled underachievers!

HERE TOO!!!
Except dh had 3 college diplomas before graduating highschool (he did one in the morning one in the afternoon) but still underachieving.....WTF?
me I was truly underachieving or rather achieving enough to get where I want with not that much effort for the teachers trying to carrot me to get me to show my brilliance sorry but I got better things to do....

[meowee]

I have to say I'm a bit amazed by the results... I watched a documentary once about gifted children and there was a statistic cited that gifted children tend to have "average" parents. According to this, that is not correct.

[Ruthla]

I know that my girls' dad and my son's bio-dad both have above average IQs, but I'm not sure what kinds of school programs they were in as children. I was in the gifted program in elementary school (as well as special ed for emotional issues!) and in several honors classes in jr high and high school.

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by meowee

I have to say I'm a bit amazed by the results... I watched a documentary once about gifted children and there was a statistic cited that gifted children tend to have "average" parents. According to this, that is not correct.

They also claim that gifted children are so rare that you're likely to only have one in a family, usually the oldest. If you're talking about profound giftedness (IQ 160+ on the WISC-IV, 180+ on the SB-LM) that *might* be true, but it hasn't been true of most of the people I've heard of/met in real life.

[boongirl]

I was in a gifted program in elementary school, a regular program in junior high, and the advanced/AP program in high school. My education did not contribute much to my general screwedupness as an adolescent. That would be due to my parents drunkennes and complete and total (attempt) at controlling me.

[SunRayeMomi]

Originally Posted by meowee

I have to say I'm a bit amazed by the results... I watched a documentary once about gifted children and there was a statistic cited that gifted children tend to have "average" parents. According to this, that is not correct.

It's also interesting to see how many gifted people end up marrying each other. No sense marrying an idiot, huh Unless you enjoy being the smarter in the group, that is. Neither I nor my DP were formally identified. I don't think it occurred to my parents that I was anything other than a precocious smartypants with biting wit

[LynnS6]

I was labelled as 'gifted' but they didn't have a separate gifted program. What they did have was mixed age classes, so I essentially did 3rd grade twice at my K-3 school, then moved up to the 4-6 grade school, did 5th grade once, 6th grade twice and then on to Jr. High (which I remember being mostly a waste of time). My parents then switched me to a Catholic school for High School - which didn't have a gifted program at all, but did a good job of keeping me mostly interested in the 'core' classes, and some of the more interesting ones like ethics.

Dh went to a very small religious school and they didn't have a gifted program. He got an OK education but was underprepared for college. In addition, because it was so small and narrow, they didn't foster his true gifts -- which are an amazing visual memory, andn an ability to think outside the box (he tried in high school to write an editorial arguing that the pulpit ought not to be used to promote a political agenda and another that abortion should be legal -- let's just say that didn't go over well with his school, though I think his parents were tickled.). He got a lousy math education, but I doubt he's gifted there. He just doesn't care. On the other hand, he can do great computer programming (self taught), so who knows?