Genetics for Weirdness

[Bixby17]

I really do think there is a gene for weird.

My sister on her blog posted a video that all my brothers participated in for a contest they did where they were supposed to parody some movie.

They chose The Bucket List:

http://www.debutaunt.com/archives/001311.php#001311

I'm not sure how universally funny it is, but it is funny to me because they are my brothers. (The brother playing Morgan Freeman was my sister's stem cell donor).

You would have thought we would have outgrown this stuff when we got old. I don't think you ever outgrow weird and immature. I think when you get old, you just become eccentric. And eccentric is ok.

The two main characters in the movie were also my puppet wranglers for my video clowning on the Titans. As you can tell, the folks in my family have very muscular forearms. lol:

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/11/ ... -of-sport/

[silvercamaro]

Bix, I think this is funny -- and I'm not related to a single member of the cast!

Weird is a good thing.

[T_Bone0806]

I don't think you ever outgrow weird and immature.

I would be living proof of that statement.

Good for your brothers!!

[Bixby17]

Bix, I think this is funny -- and I'm not related to a single member of the cast!

Weird is a good thing.

Personally, I like weird.

Weird is hard on the school system though. Jackson has some of my side of the family quirks and it has been hard on him.

He got in trouble yesterday for poking at fire ants with a stick at recess and poking a hole in his lunch plate and pouring water in it. ("Mom, it was a small hole and it didn't make a mess").

He keeps having problems doing work when he is seated next to other kids. So they move him to the side and he does his work.

Personally, I think the new way of putting school desks is full of hooey. What's the point of jamming the kids desks together, have them sit next to their friends, and then tell them they aren't allowed to talk? It's like kid torture.

I think it's weird to push the kids desks together and NOT expect them to want to socialize or check out what other kids are doing.

[marrymeflyfree]

I think it's weird to push the kids desks together and NOT expect them to want to socialize or check out what other kids are doing.

I thought talking and checking out each others' work was the point of the pushing-desks-together method. Cooperative learning, and all, right? Or maybe I'm missing something.

[peacock2121]

The Jack guy reminds me of Stephen Baldwin. I mean, you could convince me he is Stephen Baldwin.

I didn't think it was funny. I thought it was inventive. I also didn't think it was weird.

[peacock2121]

I also think your job as a parent is to prepare Jackson for the way the world works.

That doesn't mean change his personality or suppress his zest for life.

He does need to know when to be certain parts of his personality and when not to be.

[Bixby17]

I also think your job as a parent is to prepare Jackson for the way the world works.

That doesn't mean change his personality or suppress his zest for life.

He does need to know when to be certain parts of his personality and when not to be.

It is a work in progress, as it is with all kids.

We are in the process of getting him evaluated by someone who specializes in testing children for a variety of things--giftedness, ADD, speech, autistic spectrum etc.

We want to make sure we are doing right with him. In a lot of ways, he is a lot more functional than I was when I was his age, but school has a lot more pressure and expectations than it did when I was a child as far as test taking and the like is concerned.

Your children are not you, but I remember very vividly being a child of his age. I remember being very much like him. I get him. Having a lot of thoughts in my head and unable to say what I meant. Feeling that I was a smart, thoughtful person who had a lot of stuff rattling around in my head, but feeling that some of my teachers thought I was dumb or not a good student because my handwriting was bad or that I kept a messy desk or I had problems expressing myself or that I was not cute or that I wanted to do things in creative ways and not like everybody else.

I was very fortunate to have a supportive mom, and a few supportive teachers who helped me believe in myself and helped me learn to communicate better. Those who focused more on the special things I could do versus crushing me for the things I couldn't do.

I believe I have sort of a different brain, and I believe Jackson does too.

Medical folks have done MRI's on brains of kids who were unusually early readers. The way they read and do other things is a little different than kids who learned to read in more conventional ways.

In any event, we have yet another conference with his teacher and the principals after Spring Break. Those are always hard.

Eventually in Jackson's life, it will be okay to try to make friends by being silly and trying to figure out ways to make them laugh. In school, that gets you in trouble, but try getting that through to a little guy who just wants people to like him and doesn't always know the best way how.

[peacock2121]

I also think your job as a parent is to prepare Jackson for the way the world works.

That doesn't mean change his personality or suppress his zest for life.

He does need to know when to be certain parts of his personality and when not to be.

It is a work in progress, as it is with all kids.

We are in the process of getting him evaluated by someone who specializes in testing children for a variety of things--giftedness, ADD, speech, autistic spectrum etc.

We want to make sure we are doing right with him. In a lot of ways, he is a lot more functional than I was when I was his age, but school has a lot more pressure and expectations than it did when I was a child as far as test taking and the like is concerned.

Your children are not you, but I remember very vividly being a child of his age. I remember being very much like him. I get him. Having a lot of thoughts in my head and unable to say what I meant. Feeling that I was a smart, thoughtful person who had a lot of stuff rattling around in my head, but feeling that some of my teachers thought I was dumb or not a good student because my handwriting was bad or that I kept a messy desk or I had problems expressing myself or that I was not cute or that I wanted to do things in creative ways and not like everybody else.

I was very fortunate to have a supportive mom, and a few supportive teachers who helped me believe in myself and helped me learn to communicate better. Those who focused more on the special things I could do versus crushing me for the things I couldn't do.

I believe I have sort of a different brain, and I believe Jackson does too.

Medical folks have done MRI's on brains of kids who were unusually early readers. The way they read and do other things is a little different than kids who learned to read in more conventional ways.

In any event, we have yet another conference with his teacher and the principals after Spring Break. Those are always hard.

Eventually in Jackson's life, it will be okay to try to make friends by being silly and trying to figure out ways to make them laugh. In school, that gets you in trouble, but try getting that through to a little guy who just wants people to like him and doesn't always know the best way how.

I love how you empathize with him. I love how you know what is in his heart.

I also hear how tough it is to parent and teach someone with his 'strong suit'.

He is a lucky kid to have a parent who has some personal experience to fall back on.

[Appa23]

Bix, I am sorry to hear about the issues surrounding Jackson at school. I know that there is a boatload of research showing that boys have a much harder time with sitting for long periods of time and learning. Some teachers get that everyone does not learn the same, and some teachers do not.

It does sound like you are engaging with the teacher to make sure that school is as positive of an experience as possible. It is one of the things that I generally like about my son's teacher. She is very approachable when there is an issue with him.

If your school has not already offered a test for the gifted program (GATE, HAL, or whatever moniker), then you should have the right to ask for him to be tested. Of course,, if you do not think that Jackson's giftedness will show up on the more standardized tests used, then you can seek out a private evalaution. Apparently, at our school, it is a three part test, dealing with knowledge in math & science, English and social sciences, and reasoning skills.

If Jackson gets bored in class, then I highly suggest it.

[Bixby17]

Bix, I am sorry to hear about the issues surrounding Jackson at school. I know that there is a boatload of research showing that boys have a much harder time with sitting for long periods of time and learning. Some teachers get that everyone does not learn the same, and some teachers do not.

It does sound like you are engaging with the teacher to make sure that school is as positive of an experience as possible. It is one of the things that I generally like about my son's teacher. She is very approachable when there is an issue with him.

If your school has not already offered a test for the gifted program (GATE, HAL, or whatever moniker), then you should have the right to ask for him to be tested. Of course,, if you do not think that Jackson's giftedness will show up on the more standardized tests used, then you can seek out a private evalaution. Apparently, at our school, it is a three part test, dealing with knowledge in math & science, English and social sciences, and reasoning skills.

If Jackson gets bored in class, then I highly suggest it.

The standardized test they use does a good job of picking up very bright, teacher pleasing direction followers. Kids who would probably benefit from the program, but aren't really the biggest at risk kids for their giftedness.

Jackson took it when he was in kindergarten to comical results. There were about 13 kids in his class. All the instructions were oral and not written which is a problem. He was more curious about the surroundings and the new kids in the class that he didn't finish the test. He didn't want to do the filling in the bubble thing.

The tests until they are much older don't have much words on them because they want the test not to discriminate against kids who are bright but have poor English skills. Such a test that is very picture oriented with verbal instructions is not something that is up my guy's alley.

The person we are consulting with is supposed to be doing the giftedness evaluation.

Here's my funny/sad Jackson story of the day. He got in trouble for poking a hole in his lunch tray and pouring water in it. They have separated him from sitting with his friends at lunch for a week for this. He also had to write an apology letter to the teacher who had lunch duty that day.

Here is a rough approximation of his letter:

Dear Mrs. Jackson,

I am so sorry for poking a hole in my tray during lunch and putting water in it But it was a small hole. And it did not make a mess. I am so sad I can't sit with my friends at lunch any more. I will never poke holes in my tray ever again.

Sincerely,
Jackson #2
Not the Mrs.

[peacock2121]

Bix, I am sorry to hear about the issues surrounding Jackson at school. I know that there is a boatload of research showing that boys have a much harder time with sitting for long periods of time and learning. Some teachers get that everyone does not learn the same, and some teachers do not.

It does sound like you are engaging with the teacher to make sure that school is as positive of an experience as possible. It is one of the things that I generally like about my son's teacher. She is very approachable when there is an issue with him.

If your school has not already offered a test for the gifted program (GATE, HAL, or whatever moniker), then you should have the right to ask for him to be tested. Of course,, if you do not think that Jackson's giftedness will show up on the more standardized tests used, then you can seek out a private evalaution. Apparently, at our school, it is a three part test, dealing with knowledge in math & science, English and social sciences, and reasoning skills.

If Jackson gets bored in class, then I highly suggest it.

The standardized test they use does a good job of picking up very bright, teacher pleasing direction followers. Kids who would probably benefit from the program, but aren't really the biggest at risk kids for their giftedness.

Jackson took it when he was in kindergarten to comical results. There were about 13 kids in his class. All the instructions were oral and not written which is a problem. He was more curious about the surroundings and the new kids in the class that he didn't finish the test. He didn't want to do the filling in the bubble thing.

The tests until they are much older don't have much words on them because they want the test not to discriminate against kids who are bright but have poor English skills. Such a test that is very picture oriented with verbal instructions is not something that is up my guy's alley.

The person we are consulting with is supposed to be doing the giftedness evaluation.

Here's my funny/sad Jackson story of the day. He got in trouble for poking a hole in his lunch tray and pouring water in it. They have separated him from sitting with his friends at lunch for a week for this. He also had to write an apology letter to the teacher who had lunch duty that day.

Here is a rough approximation of his letter:

Dear Mrs. Jackson,

I am so sorry for poking a hole in my tray during lunch and putting water in it But it was a small hole. And it did not make a mess. I am so sad I can't sit with my friends at lunch any more. I will never poke holes in my tray ever again.

Sincerely,
Jackson #2
Not the Mrs.

It is both funny and sad.

I still can't decide if it is funnier than sad or sadder than funny.

[5LD]

We are preparing for kindergarten this fall and are looking forward to kindred issues.

Isaac is sneaky and a little bit lazy. He will only do what he is asked or less.

He doesn't often seek out challenge but when challenged hits the ball out of the park usually.

He's reading and doing very advanced math and his preschool advisor suggested we talk to the Gifted department and have him tested prior to September.

[Bixby17]

We are preparing for kindergarten this fall and are looking forward to kindred issues.

Isaac is sneaky and a little bit lazy. He will only do what he is asked or less.

He doesn't often seek out challenge but when challenged hits the ball out of the park usually.

He's reading and doing very advanced math and his preschool advisor suggested we talk to the Gifted department and have him tested prior to September.

If kids find a lot of things to be easy, they have a hard time with those things that are not innate or are boring.

I'm glad that they are testing him.