Some questions I've been pondering about parenting the precocious child (or children). Not in any particular order of importance. These are very general (stereotypical) questions that are mostly tongue and cheek, but feel free to comment on or answer these questions.

1. Why is it that parents who talk about their little field goal kicking super star aren't bragging (just being proud parents)... but mentioning that your 4 year old can read is?

2. Why exactly do we (as a society) gives a poor playing major league baseball player more money then a cancer research specialist (who BTW was probably a precocious child)?

3. Why do the precocious children  in school get teased and the athletic kids get scholarships to Noter Dame?

4. Why do the precocious children only get noticed after suffering years of ridicule... ie. after they've shoot their high school teacher?

5. Why do parents of "normal" kids always say, "You shouldn't complain, you have it good (or easy)"?

6. Why do other people think your precocious child should be perfect, even while their's is climbing up your cabinets?

7. Why does the precocious child think he/she has to be perfect?

8. Why do so many people focus on the importance of socialization when it's obvious that the only social interaction precocious children get in school is negative anyway? I know there are exceptions to this one... mostly in girls who hide their talents.

9. Why do some parents of precocious children push their kids to socially excel while secretly wishing they were "normal"?

10. Why do other parents feel threatened by any academic deviance from the norm? 11. Why do I always hear that they even out in X grade anyway? The magic grade seems to be a grade or two higher then the precocious child.

12. Why is it that if you homeschool your precocious child you are somehow cheating? 

13. Can you really force your child to learn faster then the rate at which they are naturally wired? I think not!

14. Why is it that when you try to explain that your kid is a precocious child (insert here other words often used for these children) and you will be told that all children are precocious?

15. Using the logic of the previous question... do all children know how to put a car together or dunk a basketball?

16. Why does society seem to think its okay to belittle the abilities of the precocious child in favor of not hurting the feelings of the average child?

17. Why is stating the obvious, the average 5 yo can do this, which is what my precocious 2 yo is doing now considered an attack on the average 5 yo? Note that is not the likely way a parent of a precocious child would state this...but it is how the listener would hear it.

18. Why do they label text books with grade levels?

19. Why do children's literature reading labels have to be in such large print?

20. Why aren't there more books out on asynchronous development?

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