Should I be doing more?

[snuggly mama]

Dd is 11, and I think we knew she was gifted at a very early age. She has always tested in the 99th percentile on all school tests, reads well above grade level, asks intense, probing questions that I just can't answer, and has a memory that astounds me. She also has anxiety disorder and panic attacks and struggles with social skills. I guess as she's gotten older, I've tried to somehow dismiss her giftedness because I don't really know how to cope with it. After lurking here a bit, I'm feeling like I've missed the boat by not doing more to nurture her gifts and make her feel positive about her intelligence. She's recently started asking lots of questions about and expressing interest in homeschooling, something that doesn't really work as an option for our family right now. She attends a small parochial school where she does pretty well socially and is clearly academically bored. What kinds of things do you do with your children to nurture them intellectually? I don't think she's highly or profoundly gifted, though she's never been formally tested. She's just . . . more, kwim? I hate to admit that I've been kind of tuning out her existential ramblings because I honestly don't know what to say. She's fascinating, and yet sometimes I feel like she's operating on a whole different plane than me.

[boongirl]

As a teacher, I always tell parents, when they ask this question, to try to get their child involved in an after school activity that the child enjoys and that stimulates their intelligence. Chess club, debate team, science club, computer club are all examples. It could also be an after school hobby, like knitting or sewing, or a sport, like soccer or something like karate or yoga. Or an after school arts program. Anything really. Kids like this need stimulation that they find interesting. It should be their own choice and it should not take up all their after school time and certainly should not stress out parents, in terms of getting the child places, etc. But, a couple of afternoons a week with like minded kids is worth its weight in gold. Look around your city and see what you can find or ask your dd what she would be interested in doing.