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Kite Kid Mama

Kite Kid Mama

Rising above the obstacles of giftedness

Neurodiversity has many paths some intersect
clinicians, educators, parents

Neurodiversity is tricky

Nov 25, 2020
how to help teachers during the pandemic
educators, parents

How to support teachers during the pandemic

Aug 15, 2020
Shirts that convey love, inclusion and a growth mindset
clinicians, educators

Shirts that convey love, inclusion and a growth mindset

Aug 6, 2020
Like any group of individuals who are outside the norm, myths and stereotypes abound when it comes to “gifted” children. what do educators need to know about these kiddos? Here’s what they wish you knew.
educators

What “gifted” students wish their teachers knew

Jul 31, 2020
We're relocating & need to find a new school. Why building social-emotional competencies are what I’m looking at first, even though my oldest is “gifted.”
educators, parents

Navigating school choice when a child is neurodiverse

Jun 19, 2020
educators, parents

What kids can learn from big societal challenges

Jun 14, 2020
How educators can leverage their distance-teaching skills during School Breaks
educators

School Break side job: virtual teaching

May 26, 2020
What has Leah Kuypers learned since publishing her top-selling curriculum? Watch her live-stream presentation for best practices & common misconceptions.
clinicians, educators, parents

Zones of Regulation creator Leah Kuypers to share best practices June 26

May 8, 2020
clinicians, educators, parents

Why we should never forget the emotions that accompanied COVID-19

Apr 23, 2020
Free webinars that take social-emotional learning (SEL) to the the next level
clinicians, educators, parents

Take social-emotional learning to the next level

Apr 8, 2020
Ways to express all of our COVID19-related emotions
clinicians, educators, parents

Ways to express all of our COVID19-related emotions

Apr 3, 2020
online learning for bright and quirky kids
parents

Online learning for bright & quirky kids

Apr 1, 2020
online learning for adults
Ideas to inspire

Enrichment for grown-ups

Mar 26, 2020
distance learning for kids and you
educators, parents

Remote learning & enrichment ideas for kids

Mar 25, 2020
parents

Topics & featured experts for the 2020 Bright & Quirky Online Summit (March 12-16)

Feb 25, 2020
clinicians, educators

A great way to compare points of view & build social competencies

Feb 8, 2020
extroverts with social anxiety can be difficult to understand
clinicians, educators, parents

How to navigate social anxiety in kids who are extroverts

Jan 26, 2020
when an extroverted child develops social anxiety
clinicians, educators, parents

When an outgoing child develops social anxiety

Jan 25, 2020
demystifying executive-function deficits
clinicians, educators, parents

Demystifying executive functions: what they are & how to teach them

Jan 24, 2020
Ways to show your class spirit on Valentine's Day
educators

Ways to nurture students’ hearts & minds on Valentine’s Day

Jan 11, 2020
signs of anxiety
clinicians, educators, parents

Common, but often overlooked, signs of an anxiety disorder

Dec 16, 2019
Four lessons that Frozen 2 conveys beautifully
clinicians, educators, parents

Four messages that Frozen 2 conveys beautifully

Dec 1, 2019
ideas for teacher gifts
educators, parents

Teacher gift ideas

Nov 30, 2019
Gifts for Potter Heads
Ideas to inspire

Need gift ideas for a Harry Potter fan?

Nov 29, 2019
Why it's essential to remember a “gifted” child’s true age
clinicians, educators, parents

Why it’s essential to remember a “gifted” child’s true age

Nov 26, 2019
gifts for space enthusiasts
Ideas to inspire

Awesome ways to teach kids about space

Nov 17, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

Social considerations of imaginational intensity

Nov 12, 2019
Christmas gift ideas
Ideas to inspire

Gift ideas

Nov 9, 2019
school counseling friendship groups
clinicians, educators, parents

Counseling friendship groups don’t help when there’s undetected neurodiversity

Oct 16, 2019
17 ways to celebrate World Space Week
educators, parents

Ways to celebrate World Space Week (Oct. 4-10)

Oct 2, 2019
Bid-on-me jars for your school's silent auction
educators, parents

Silent auction themes for young bidders

Sep 15, 2019
Have a smart child who struggles? Don't miss Bright & Quirky's 2019 Smart but Struggling Student series for incredible insights, tools & strategies.
parents

Smart but Struggling Student masters series by Bright & Quirky

Sep 11, 2019
Learn about executive function skills
educators

Executive-function deficits can plague any student

Sep 6, 2019
Free bookmarks for your students
educators

Insights for teachers + free bookmarks for students

Sep 5, 2019
Fat Brain Toys’ 2019 Kidventor contest; deadline is Sept. 29
parents

Fat Brain Toys’ 2019 Kidventor contest: deadline is Sept. 29

Aug 31, 2019
Cool science experiments on the Little Passports blog | Kite Kid Mama
educators, parents

Cool experiments on the Little Passports blog

Aug 27, 2019
Teaching kids self-regulation for social-emotional success. Free webinar with Social Thinking founder Michelle Garcia Winner, SLP.
clinicians, educators, parents

Teaching kids self-regulation for social-emotional success (free Aug. 28 webinar)

Aug 21, 2019
Is he bright, but disorganized? This Aug. 25-28 free online summit can help.
clinicians, educators, parents

Aug. 23-25 free online summit re: major pain point for kite kids

Aug 20, 2019
A cozy, woodland-themed classroom students will love
educators

A cozy, woodland classroom students will love

Aug 16, 2019
How to encourage student questions (and still get through your lesson plan)
educators

How to encourage student curiosity (and complete your lesson)

Aug 10, 2019
Ways to get class donations
educators

How to let parents know what you need this school year

Aug 5, 2019
20% of kids face internal challenges most adults don’t recognize or understand. As a result, they’re harder to coach. Here's why & what helps. | Kite Kid Mama
educators, parents

How to harness the strengths of differently-wired athletes

Aug 2, 2019
Don’t give up. You can find answers – and help your child succeed. | Kite Kid Mama
parents

The difference a year can make

Jul 31, 2019
How to build trust with your students
educators

An easy way to get tremendous insights about your students

Jul 31, 2019
Don't make kids' gifts a competitionCan’t we all just accept what makes each kid unique? Let’s stop turning this into a competition – or worse yet, an excuse to mock or exclude someone. | Kite Kid Mama
educators, parents

Don’t make kids’ “gifts” a competition

Jul 20, 2019
The danger of making generalizations about parents | Kite Kid Mama
clinicians, educators, parents

Why parents of neurodiverse kids hate this meme

Jul 15, 2019
How to create winning parent-teacher dynamics that set students up for success | Kite Kid Mama
educators, parents

A game plan for great parent-teacher relationships

Jul 10, 2019
Teachers, not sure why one of your smart students is struggling? It may be due to a type of neurodiversity. Here are 20 traits & behaviors that are indicators. | Kite Kid Mama
educators

Why some smart students struggle + two freebies

Jul 3, 2019
Even the anti-bullying mom mocked gifted kids & their families | Kite Kid Mama
Uncategorized

When an anti-bullying mom mocked gifted kids & their families

Jul 2, 2019
The Problem with Potential - Kids don’t have to succeed all the time; they should have opportunities to explore & fail, too. | Kite Kid Mama
clinicians, educators, parents

The problem with “potential”

Jun 27, 2019
Summer can suck for kids who are bullied & excluded. On June 20, after another VBS camper tried to punch my son, was the day I said “no more.” Here’s what I’ve learned since then. | Kite Kid Mama
clinicians, educators, parents

The day I said “no more”

Jun 20, 2019
There’s more to giftedness than concert halls and I.Q. scores. It’s a true type of neurodiversity that affects the whole child – and it isn’t always pretty | Kite Kid Mama
clinicians, educators, parents

Understanding the gifted child’s brain

Jun 19, 2019
When you work with young kids on a daily basis, your books quickly become more “loved” than those in a public library! Here are some suggested books (with positive messages) if your reading materials are falling apart. | Kite Kid Mama
clinicians, educators

Kids’ books falling apart? Here are ideas if it’s time to replenish.

Jun 12, 2019
Gifted kids are often misdiagnosed disorders they don’t have. In many cases, this is due to lack of familiarity with common traits that are linked to their uneven brain development & “super-sensitivities.” | Kite Kid Mama
clinicians

Gifted kids misdiagnosed with disorders they don’t have

Jun 11, 2019
Most general-education teachers don’t feel equipped to meet outlier students’ needs | Kite Kid Mama
educators

Most teachers don’t feel equipped to meet outliers’ needs

Jun 6, 2019
Are the sacrifices worth it?
clinicians, educators, parents

Is this worth it? Remembering my why.

May 11, 2019
Building "social knowledge” can be far more complex that most people realize.
clinicians, educators, parents

How to help kids build “social smarts”

May 10, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

The struggles (& strengths) of twice-exceptional kids

Apr 22, 2019
parents

Camps that are a great fit

Apr 18, 2019
parents

BrickUniverse delivers

Apr 17, 2019
educators, parents

Improving class lists

Apr 13, 2019
parents

The best youth coach email ever written

Mar 6, 2019
educators, parents

My interview with children’s author Peter H. Reynolds

Feb 13, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

How to help gifted kids who struggle socially

Jan 21, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

Some bullies have nice parents

Jan 19, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

Possible clues I missed

Jan 17, 2019
educators, parents

Why my child was the class clown, even though kids didn’t “get” his humor

Jan 17, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

“Peer” can have various meanings, especially for kite kids

Jan 17, 2019
clinicians, educators, parents

Out of nowhere, and yet, everywhere

Jan 17, 2019
Ideas to inspire

Some of my favorite finds on Etsy

Aug 9, 2020

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Meet Patti

Meet Patti

Thanks for stopping by. I created this site after learning why my son had been bullied & excluded since age five. It took three years to find out – mostly because of long-standing myths. That's far too long, so now I'm on a mission to help others. I explain what "the G word" is &, just as important, what it isn't. With the help of many experts, you'll also see tips for navigating this type of neurodiversity. Join me as I share what I'm learning.


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While earning his bachelor's degree, Martin Luther While earning his bachelor's degree, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an essay about 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & the importance of critical-thinking skills. You've probably seen the quote "Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education," which was part of the same paper. ⁣
.⁣
I think this excerpt is equally wonderful: ⁣
. ⁣
"𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢, 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.⁣
. ⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴." ⁣
.
It's true. MLK Jr. was “a kite kid,” a term I It's true. MLK Jr. was “a kite kid,” a term I prefer to “gifted” children. 🪁 ⁣
. ⁣
Here are several intellectual and social-emotional indicators. ⬇ ⁣
.⁣
𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲: ⁣
~ Was memorizing hymns and Bible verses by the time he was 5 years old. 🎵 ⁣
~ Read dictionaries as a kid. 📚 ⁣
~ Skipped two grade levels (9th and 12th) and began his freshman year at Morehouse College at age 15. 😳 ⁣
~ At the integrated school in Pennsylvania, where he earned his 2nd bachelor’s degree, he not only graduated at the top of his class, he was elected president of the largely white senior class. 🎓 ⁣
. ⁣
𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹-𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆: ⁣
~ Tried to commit suicide twice as a child when he was distraught about his grandmother’s well-being. 😥 ⁣
~ Had an immensely strong sense of justice. 👨‍⚖️ ⁣
~ Exhibited strong emotional expression. 🗣 ⁣
. ⁣
Can you think of other examples of 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀/𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗢𝗘𝘀) that he had? 🤔 If so, I’d love to hear them. 🤗 ⁣
. ⁣
The 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗘 seems like a strong possibility, too. It isn't hard to envision him getting totally lost in his ideas or losing all sense of time. Especially with as many thoughts as he had running through his mind! 💡
This weekend, I’m soaking in 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺 from Seth Perler as I attempt to help my daughter get better at 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 that her teacher says 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 before 4th grade next year. 😣 (Some of these pain points include: organization, sustained focus, time management and asking for help.) 🎒📚📝⏱ ⁣
. ⁣
Coaching her on EFs isn’t easy for me because 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝘁𝗼𝗼; especially since I began battling depression a few years ago. (Anxiety and depression often hinder our executive functions.) 😬 ⁣
. ⁣
If you want to learn how to help kids develop these “𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲” 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, Seth is a true expert. 🙌  You can find his work: at SethPerler.com, on his YouTube channel, and through interviews he’s done for various podcasts (e.g., episode 61 of #cultofpedagogy; episode 71 of @theneurodiversitypodcast; episode 108 of #parentingadhdpodcast with @pennywilliams; episodes 85, 123 and 124 of @tiltparenting). 🎧 ⁣
. ⁣
In addition, Seth is a featured expert in the @letstalk2e 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 that I mentioned a few days ago. It’s an awesome lineup with 25 experts on how teachers, counselors & other school staff can support twice-exceptional (2e) students.👩‍🏫 The conference’s on-demand interviews release Jan. 25; early-bird pricing ends Jan. 18. 🏃‍♀️
Each person has their own way of processing input, Each person has their own way of processing input, but with synesthesia, the senses interpreting that input overlap. For example, some synesthetes see sounds; others hear colors. Apparently, some even associate flavors with different shapes or words! 😳 
. 
I first heard about this phenomenon in an online group for parents of neurodivergent kids. It kind of blew my mind. 🤯 
. 
I had never heard either of my kids talk about it; however, my daughter is creative in many different ways, so I figured I'd ask her. 🤷🏼‍♀️ To my surprise, she said that, yes, in her experience, some numbers & letters do have specific colors. 🌈 
. 
This is how she described them. 👆 I took the video above in December & asked her about the same letter & numbers again today (about 2.5 weeks later). Out of the 10 numbers & letters that she mentioned last month, only one answer changed. (In the video, she said E is orange; this time she said E looks yellow.) 😏 
. 
From what I understand, there are tests for synesthesia so I can't definitively declare that she has it. Either way, though, I think it's pretty darn fascinating! ☺️ 
. 
Have you ever known anyone with this condition? 🤔
Meeting the needs of a twice-exceptional (2e) stud Meeting the needs of a twice-exceptional (2e) student means adjusting your approach. 🤔  It requires gaining a deep understanding of the student’s specific strengths & struggles. 🔎  It also means trust & partnership with both the student & his/her parents. 🤝 
. 
Through the 2e virtual conference for educators, you’ll learn how to reach & teach your 2e learners. 💡  The online event features 25 experts & thought leaders to help you connect with – and bring out the best in – these complex, but super cool, kiddos. 🤗 
. 
Crazy busy? 😣  Of course you are – this school year more than any other! Event organizer Julie Skolnick M.A., J.D. knows that. 👍  That's why, once you register for the conference, you can watch – and rewatch – the on-demand sessions 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁. 🙌  All of them will be available starting Jan. 25; you can go through them as you have time & in whatever order you’d like. You also may be able to earn CEUs. ✅✅ 
. 
Early bird pricing ends Jan. 18. ⏱️ 
. 
For more details, see the conference link in my bio. 🖱️
My 8-year-old, who seems to have a lot of sensory My 8-year-old, who seems to have a lot of sensory issues, says this is “very satisfying.” 😌  She & my son also recently said that about inserting push pins into a cork board & sharpening pencils in an old-fashioned pencil sharpener that came with our “new” house. 📌✏️
Fear of monsters? No. ❌ Being dropped off at pr Fear of monsters? No. ❌  Being dropped off at preschool? Or the church or gym nursery? Nope. ❌  Germs? Oh yes! ☑🤧 ⁣
.
A friend of mine recently said she felt guilty mak A friend of mine recently said she felt guilty making posts about her new baby; a child that she welcomed after three stillbirths. 👶👼👼👼⁣
. ⁣
I hate that she felt this way, but I can certainly understand it. In 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆, she didn't want to ignore the anguish others were going through. 😬 ⁣
. ⁣
But my goodness, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁! 🌟⁣
. ⁣
If you experienced something good or hopeful in 2020, feel free to share it below. No guilt here. Just joy. 😘 ⁣
. ⁣
I'll start. I have three, actually! 🤗 ⁣
. ⁣
1) After a decade of trying, my husband 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿. 🙌 ⁣
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2) His new job prompted a relocation that's given my 2e 10-yr-old a "clean slate" so to speak. Because I now understand his strengths and challenges, I told his teacher immediately and she 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀. I think having to wear a mask helps him feel more emotionally safe, too! 😉 ⁣
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3) We've been on a waiting list since mid-summer for a new puppy. 🐶 (No shaming, please. Every member of my family has allergies & I have dander-induced asthma.) Last night, I received an email that we're finally going to 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 from a new litter. 😍
🌊 "...and you have never looked above you to gu 🌊 "...and you have never looked above you to guilt the clouds for taking their time as the cross the noonday sky. You simply accept: these clouds must travel must travel at whatever pace they need to. ⛅ Oh, what a difference it would make if you gave yourself the same grace.” 🚶‍♀️🚣‍♀️🤸🧘‍♀️🛌 ⁣
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I recently came across the work of @morganharpernichols. It's so insightful and affirming. 🤗 ⁣
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This message above feels particularly relevant while trying to navigate pandemic living; however, I think it's important to always keep in mind. I hope it resonates with you as much as it does with me. 💕
“There are no seven wonders of the world, in the “There are no seven wonders of the world, in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” – Walt Streightiff⁣
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#wholechild #beyondbehaviors #selfregulation #zonesofregulation #socialemotionallearning #twiceexceptional #2ekids #childmentalhealth #teachergram #igteachers #teacherPD #kindergartenteacher #1stgradeteacher #2ndgradeteacher #3rdgradeteacher #iteach456 #middleschoolteacher #highschoolteacher #principalsofinstagram #assistantprincipal #schoolpsychologist #schoolslp #schoolot #schoolsocialworker #counselorsofinstagram #schoolcounselor #pediatricians #pediatricnursepractitioner #playtherapist #childtherapist
When I came across this quote, it immediately spok When I came across this quote, it immediately spoke to me. The activist who said it was talking about 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺; not myths and ridicule related to 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. 🧠 ⁣
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However, her desire to channel her anger in positive ways is how I approach 𝘮𝘺 advocacy efforts, as well. 😏 ⁣
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Shaming the parents of kids who have 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 my child (or 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 when he tried to form friendships with them), won't make me feel any better. 😒  Nor will lashing out at the 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘀 and 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 who 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 (or even have suggestions on where I should go for help). 😥 ⁣
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Instead, after finally learning my son is differently wired, 𝗜 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀. 🤔  Why didn't his 1st grade teacher understand what was going on, or give me more information? 😣  Why did his 2nd grade teacher, who was completing a master's degree, downplay his extremely high STAR scores? 🤨  And why didn't the school counselor, who I cried to on the phone, know that a Friendship Group wouldn't help in this instance? 🤷 ⁣
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What I discovered is that most educators and counselors aren't trained in what "giftedness" really looks like – and 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 not to spot a student (or patient) who is 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 (2𝗲). 😣  Even during their master's degree programs. 🤯⁣
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Like everyone else, these 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 are 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲. Stereotypes about "gifted" kids and stereotypes about their parents. 😭 ⁣
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It 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 to me that there isn't more training on this, but I choose to use my anger as a force for good. Like Austin Channing Brown says, "My anger can be creative and imaginative, seeing a better world that doesn’t yet exist." I love that. 😍 ⁣
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I pray that my blog, and my little space here on Instagram, help 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗼𝘀. 🙏  And the fact that the admission process for some "gifted" programs isn't true neurodiversity – further perpetuating the myths that exist. 💡 ⁣
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When we know better, we do better. 💪
"She has fire in her soul and grace in her heart." "She has fire in her soul and grace in her heart." – unknown
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