Gotta Wear Shades

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Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford

My last post happened to be about identifying developmental delays. As a parent, there is always the fear that our child may not be perfect.

It's a hard (but important) topic to tackle.  Let's face it, being a parent isn't always easy.

Today, I'm looking at the kids around me and am realizing one fact about our kiddos' paths of development:

My kid is brilliant. So is yours.

I started a professional journey long ago where my work focused on learning about kiddos. Child development is not rocket science, but simply the process of watching how kids learn and grow. The books in college were interesting.  The teaching experiences were a challenge. Then real life happened.

As a parent, child development is exhilarating.

I've been around many parents (sometimes too many) who have told me how "brilliant" their kid is. Their kid loves music. Their kid can recognize colors. Their kid can count. Their kid talks. Their kid jumps. And so on and so on and so on...At the time, as an educator, it was up to me to do something with these "extraordinary" gifts. (I can feel my eyes rolling now.)

But now, yes, I've joined "the club." Every move she makes, every sound, every bite she takes (I know, this sounds a little bit like "The Police"), It IS mesmerizing.

She IS brilliant.

And so now I see it.  Brilliant kids surround me at each get together of family and friends. Each child I encounter brings something different - a different spark, and a different interest. And, I see it in their parent's eyes...they see their child's brilliance too.

It's a great thing. With so many brilliant minds, the world will be a much brighter place.

What's the bright moment of your day?

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