One Smart Cookie

So let's face it....everyone thinks that their child is brilliant. I can't tell you how many times I have heard other mothers say "Well, it might just be me but when I look at Susie compared to her peers, she just seems ahead of them." But we all don't live in Lake Wobegon where all the children are above average, we just all have, understandably, a little partiality when it comes to our children.

I have always thought that Quinn was pretty darn smart and advanced for her age (at least intellectually) but I have always tried to temper myself by saying that all parents think that; I am just a proud mother. So when her teacher took me aside last week to talk about her educational future I was a little surprised.

As I have said before, Susan Gray is a wonderful hybrid of typically developing and special needs children. For the children with special needs, who after Susan Gray, will more than likely be entering the Metro Nashville Public School System, there is a continual parade of MNPSS teachers constantly evaluating the children to determine how to best serve them once they enter the school system. The typically developing children also benefit from these evaluations. A couple of weeks ago MNPSS teachers came into Quinn's class and after an afternoon with her pulled Ms. Tina aside and informed her that Quinn pretty much was ready for Kindergarten. Ms. Tina echoed their sentiments and told me that while she tried to teach her new things that Quinn was so far ahead of the rest of her class that she really didn't think that Quinn was getting a lot of benefit from the current curriculum. Perhaps, she said, you should consider sending her to Kindergarten next year (a year ahead of schedule).

Honestly, the thought hadn't even crossed our minds but we called the Admissions Office over at BGA (there are some wonderful benefits of being a current family) and they agreed to test her and see where she stacked up. So last week Quinn took her BGA entrance exam and did well, very well, scarily very well. Now her application is on the desk of BGA's Headmaster, since it would be an exception to their general policy relating to the age of the Kindergarten class. While we wait on his decision, I get to sit here and try to figure out what the right decision is for my little girl. Academically, it is a no-brainer. She clearly isn't being challenged in her current environment but academics is not the only thing to consider. She will be a full year, and sometimes more, younger than anyone else in her class. While this may not be a concern now it might be in the future. I was a 'late bloomer' and frankly when I did bloom the buds weren't very grand. How will she feel when everyone else in her class is developing and she is years behind? Is the stigma of pre-pubescence a la "Are You There God It Is Me Margaret" worth letting her waste another year in a class that isn't benefitting her academically?? Socially, will she be able to keep up with kids that have a year of maturity on her? So may questions, so few answers. As I have said before, the Mom manual is just ill-equipped to answer these sorts of questions.

Of course, Quinn is completely enamored with the idea of going to school with Greyson. While I know that she will get over it, I worry about what she will think if we have to tell her No. Will she think she isn't smart enough...which is completely untrue. Will she think she did badly on the exam....again as far from the truth as you can get. Sometimes being 'above average' isn't all it is cracked up to be.