Homeschooling Gifted Kids: What it’s Really Like
Homeschooling is a great educational option for gifted children. And the number of parents making the choice to bring their kids home is increasing every year. But, what is it really like to homeschool a highly gifted child with boundless energy, overexcitabilities, and possibly other issues too?
I asked some experts – moms like you and me who are in the trenches with gifted and twice-exceptional kids at home – to help me give you a picture of what it’s really like, and their insights are fabulous. Just so you’re not completely scared off, though, I’ll offer my thoughts and tips for making it work as well.
So, what is it really like to homeschool gifted kids?
Homeschooling Gifted Kids is Hard
Let’s face it, homeschooling can be hard. You’re with your kids all the time, and responsible for teaching them academics as well as shaping them into the adults they’ll become. On top of that, you still need to take care of your house, any work you’re responsible for, and keeping your little ones busy and happy.
When you are homeschooling gifted children, you and a new layer of difficulty because as we parents of these kids know, they are far from the compliant stereotype people think of when they think gifted.
Gifted kids are challenging. They’re going in many different directions at once, and always thinking, concocting, testing, creating, playing, and moving. And they want to do things their way, and on their own timelines.
And dislike you getting in their way.
Cristy says it well, homeschooling gifted kids is “like trying to bathe a cat that met a skunk. They need it, and know they need your help, but will fight you all the way.”
Isn’t our job as parents, though, to take those clawing cat-like kiddos, dodge the scratches, and help them harness that energy for good? Our brightest minds are capable of so much good. The world needs them, their creativity, their talents, and their passions. They were given to us, and we were led to homeschool them for a reason.
It’s up to us to embrace the hard, and channel it for good.
Homeschooling Gifted Kids is Exhausting
Lauren says that her son “is constantly running circles around” her. Gifted kids have busy minds. Like Mia explains, “homeschooling gifted kids is akin to being inside a pinball machine at an arcade. You zoom through one subject, zig-zag through another subject, get bopped around in tiny spaces, watch lots of lights go on, and just when you think you’re done…you get a boost to shoot through the tunnel and it starts again the next morning.”
Coffee and chocolate are mandatory homeschooling staples for the mom of gifted children.
A day in the life of a family that has one or more gifted children at home all the time can look a little chaotic. There is always something going on. Quiet times are non-existent as many gifted children give up their naps early in life or don’t sleep well at night. The most successful homeschool moms of gifted kids keep things moving.
Following a gifted child’s passions and interests can balance out some of the chaos, and once mom relaxes and begins to enjoy the zigs and zags, everyone is so much happier.
Homeschooling Gifted Kids is Worth it
There are a lot of ups and downs in homeschooling. It’s not a job where one is able to see one’s successes until long after it’s over. Life is like that. The best and most important things we do are the ones for which we may never know if we attained success.
It’s so easy to feel beaten down, overwhelmed, and a failure. Your kids are not likely to thank you for the time you spend researching curriculum, planning field trips, co-ops, and classes, and managing the circus your home becomes. But they are likely to highlight your failures.
Every homeschooler I’ve ever met has felt like a failure at one point or another. Many feel like they’re failing at more than they’re succeeding at. If you feel that way, believe me…you’re not alone.
My friend Cait says, “In some ways, homeschooling a gifted child can be easy. My son loves to learn. He learns all the time and is always thinking of some creative project, invention, or experiment. He tends to think of more interesting/creative things than I do.
That said, he is brilliant and funny and creative and EXHAUSTING. I have trouble keeping up with him almost all the time. I have trouble keeping him in books. We go to the library at least weekly and our library has a 100 book limit and it’s not unusual for us to hit the max. My son is only 7 years old and we’ve relied heavily on the library and borrowing curriculum from friends; however, I can see how homeschooling a child like mine could get expensive quickly. Plus, like many gifted children, our son is extremely intense.
I always say that in order to homeschool him I need a decent night of sleep, several strong cups of coffee, my sense of humor, and a prayer!”
Moms, prayer and a sense of humor {and lots of caffeine} will see you through this. Trust that you were called to this for a reason, and if you love your kids… read with your kids… explore with your kids… BE with your kids, you can do this.
Your children are beautiful, amazing, talented, and bound for greatness. It’s your job to help them find their purpose, and to fire up their passions for learning. If they love to learn, they can do anything.
One other thing – homeschooling gifted kids can sometimes feel isolating. Not everyone understands what it’s like to raise a gifted child – especially when stereotypes abound and misconceptions resurface – but know that there are others out there who have finished raising and homeschooling their gifted children already. There are moms just like you, struggling with the same exact struggles as you are right now. And, there are young moms with teeny-tiny kiddos solving problems and learning in ways unlike other toddlers who are looking for support.
You’re not alone. Join in the conversation on my Facebook page, and subscribe to the blog here to learn about new things coming up to bring us all together. Homeschooling gifted kids is hard, exhausting, and totally worth it.
You can do this… we all can – together.
For more information about parenting gifted kids, check out:
This is part of the Ask the Experts blog hop from the iHomeschool Network. Check out some of the other great posts.
