My first Davidson Gathering

Ah... where to start? It was a long weekend, though many of us would say not long enough. We got to Reno Thursday evening and left Monday morning. For five days we connected with the families of PG kids as often as we could, somedays going from 7:00 in the morning till 10:00 at night, which is a lot when you have a five year old.

First I have to thank the Davidsons. I can't really wrap my head around why they want to help these kids that most people figure they already have enough going for them and view them as oddities. But helping PG children is their project and they are doing a damn fine job. They are smart, creative, ambitious and extremely generous people. Thank you!

Boy - there really are so many things to write about... I will break them into sections so they are easier to read.

1.) Girls Girls Girls

In Z's group of 4 - 7 year olds was made up of mostly girls, cute and sweet girls. :) I was amazed and heartened by the amount of girls. Z is certainly not going to get the idea that being gifted or "brainy" is a boy thing. :) Not that the girls acted particularly brainy. It is not like they were all sitting around discussing black holes or anything. Mostly they played creative games together like Caboodle and Apples to Apples.

Z connected with some of the older girls too. One evening, in the game room, Z and another six year old girl played Apples to Apples with a nine year old, some teenagers and one of the Family Consultants. One of the father's remarked that Z is amazingly confident with older people and said I should try to protect that. Good advice I think.

There were some boys that joined Z and the other girls from time to time at games, on walks, and during meal times. I noticed with the older kids as well that the groups of kids were not that divided by gender - I think it is because gifted people usually have more androgynous interests.

The girls that Z mostly hung out with were almost 6 and up to 7 years old. They had a lot in common with Z and they all really bonded. I can't wait to see them all again next year and for many years to come.

2.) Jim Delisle

Mr. Delisle gave a seminar for the parents while the kids were in classes. It was really inspirational. First I have to say that he is younger than I pictured. *grin* During his talk he shared many quotes from gifted children and brought most of the women in the room to tears several times (can we say "intensity of emotions" anyone? :P )

It think it was so good and so painful because it was so true. So many of the parents there were gifted children themselves and lived through all the isolation that comes with being different. And now we are here trying our damnest to save our own children, sometimes without much success, and it just hurts.

One thing I took away from the seminar is that hiding your child's giftedness is not going to help you or anyone else advocate for a more appropriate education for your child. He talked about how eventually the parents of disabled children took a stand and demanded changes that lead to more suitable educational opportunities and how the gifted community needs to do that too. He kind of put the blame on us, as parents and as members of the gifted community. More of us have to speak out and do something. I don't know what though. I am trying to figure that out. I think my problem is that I want to find a way to do it that is easy for me and that doesn't offend anyone. But I think not rocking the boat only makes sense if you are happy with the boat you are in. KWIM?

3.) Z highlights

At the seismologists lab Z was offered a job because when the kids were asked on what two days of the year is the length of the day the same at any latitude. And Z said "like the first of spring, the first of summer, the first of fall and the first of winter?" which was half right. :)

When Jan had her talk with the children and related her story about being the smallest kid in her school Z raised her hand and got the mic and said "Er... I think that I am pretty much the smallest kid here." LOL. Everyone laughed, which was what she was going for I think. Jan reminded her to "Think Big!" (personally I thought the kid who asked Jan why she didn't just build a taller robot version of herself was the funniest.)

When I asked Z how it felt to play with and be with the other Davidson girls she said it was "More." I think that it a great way to describe it.

When we went to the mineral and gem museum on the campus Z made a list of all the rocks she saw that she saw that she wanted to add to her own collection.



I will try to write more as I can.