Who Cares About Your Kid’s Lego Robot? I Do!

Over the weekend I had the good fortune to talk with another parent of a gifted child who’s new to navigating all the challenges. Remember how scary it was when you realized your child’s educational was going to be a bit tougher than usual?

Who cares about your Lego robot?

Photo by Eirik Refsdal

My Kid Doesn’t Play Soccer

According to Facebook, they now have one billion active monthly users and I bet a good deal of those users are parents sharing photos of kids playing soccer, t-ball, or at dance recitals. My research is based on what I see on my own Facebook wall. And I love those pictures, truly I do!

But what if your child’s passion is in creating Lego robots? Or mapping the genealogy of the Greek gods? Or learning about calculus? You know, just for fun. Chances are if you share these stories on social media, family gatherings or among friends –  you’ll get the look.

And parents of gifted kids know exactly the look I’m talking about.

The uninitiated assume that you must be pushing your child to read those boring books, your too protective to let her play team sports, or that you created that robot. Ha!

Nope, some kids are much more excited by robotic kits than balls. Believe it or not, they choose robots over soccer.

Be a Cheerleader for ALL Kids

Many parents of gifted kids don’t talk about their kids accomplishments because they are accused of bragging or of being elitist. It’s not bragging if it’s true and I’m not sure how telling the truth is elitist but these are common excuses.

The parent I recently talked with didn’t feel she could talk about her daughter’s accomplishments. I grabbed her hand and told her she could talk to me ANYTIME about her child’s accomplishments. I’m here to ooh and ahhh over origami, Lego creations, creative writing, and math problems beyond my comprehension. I’ve made that offer to all parents that I meet in similar situations.

No parent should feel as though they can’t say “Look what my kid did!”

All kids gifted or not, need to know that at the very least their own parents support them and are proud of the work they do. Unfortunately, they’ll run into plenty of people who will be dismissive because their interests aren’t the norm. Support them and just as importantly, support their parents as they take pride in their child’s achievements.

 What About You?

Do you feel you can freely share your child’s successes? Tell me your story in comments.

5 Responses

  1. Lolly var Lachland says

    my child might be labeled adhd in a school environment, but he has no problem giving lengthy attention to things…that he loves. LEGO!? oh yeah. all day long, all week long, all year long. he wants to share every detail–and the details area amazing! he’s 9, and builds like a pro. his friends ooh & ahh over his cities & vehicles, each built from his mind, not from a plan. he sees something internally & makes it happen, with odds & ends acting as critical parts, with cabinets & cartridges, nooks & storage units all built in. each minifig has been personally created for a purpose, & given a name. nothing matters more to this boy than LEGO. Except his cars. or his airplanes. or his books. he could read for 5 hours without a break (typically when he’s supposed to be sleeping, or letting someone else use the loo!). he has attention. he just hates to be interrupted or told to move on. i understand. many people don’t–i.e. his grandparents, who see me as indulgent. he does well in some of his studies (we homeschool), but getting him to break away from BrainPop or FreeRice or Khan Academy to do other work is a nightmare for me. i keep trying new techniques, and now we’re scheduled to see a neuropsych for help planning his education better. the challenges haven’t gotten easier now that he’s 9 1/2. he still hates elevators. he digs his heels in deep about things. he’s obsessive. i’ve never been so humbled & challenged…and criticized. *sigh*

    • The Common Mom says

      Love the Lego stories – they allow kids to be so creative! I applaud you for visiting with a neuropsych to help plan his education. How can people think you’re being indulgent when you’re visiting with professionals to make sure you’re on the right path? Follow your gut, you know your child best.

      We’re very familiar with BrainPop and Khan but I’ll have to check out FreeRice. Thanks for mentioning it!

  2. You just need to find your people on facebook! I love the support I get there from other parents of gifted kids.

  3. I definitely feel like we are alone in celebrating our 5yo daughter’s successes. I didn’t tell any of my SAHM mom friends, not even my closest friends, that we were sending her to Kindergarten early (she missed the cutoff by 32 days) until we heard back from the one private school we had applied to and accepted the spot (this was 5 months from the time we first considered sending her early) last February. I still haven’t told them that the school she attends is a school for the gifted. I haven’t told them that she is now doing 2nd grade math (when just two months ago she would only write the numbers 1, 4, and 7, and when she counted to 20 she would usually skip 16). I haven’t told anyone that she is absolutely thriving in school both academically and socially. She loves learning Spanish, Latin, computers, music, social studies (they spend 3-4 weeks learning in depth about a country), science, language arts, and is now crazy about math. I can’t share that I am so proud that she got all O’s on her report card last week (almost all were O+).

    I just can’t imagine what life for her would have been right now if we had done another year of preschool. I want to shout from the rooftops how excited I am for her and her love of learning. She has wanted to learn to read for over a year and I was working with her at home, but we just butt heads too much to make much progress. School has been perfect for her.

    Love your blog! Glad to find others who are figuring out how to navigate this world and provide the best path we can for our children.

    • The Common Mom says

      I’m so happy for you and your daughter that you found a good fit for her academically! Starting Kindergarten early is, in my humble opinion, an excellent way to begin. She’ll start with the same group of kids and hopefully avoid some of the social issues that can come with grade skipping. I do hope you find someone who will celebrate your daughter’s successes with you. If not – you come right back here or visit on Facebook! I LOVE hearing about kids learning at their own pace – which just happens to be faster than most everyone elses. Thanks for stopping by and sharing!

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