Having been labeled "gifted" and various things, growing up (and "blowing" a few grade curves, either pleasing or pissing off the instructor, depending upon the

Having been labeled "gifted" and various things, growing up (and "blowing" a few grade curves, either pleasing or pissing off the instructor, depending upon their personality). And after having suffered immensely, simultaneously, particularly because no one accepted what I actually said: "I need peace and quiet to work." "Stop fighting." "Just leave me alone." Number one way to nuture gifted children (per me): TEACH THEM TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES. AND TO RESPECT THEMSELVES, RATHER THAN CONSTANTLY DIMINISHING THEM WITH "CORRECTIONS" AND "COMPLIANCE". I was a pretty nice kid. And I've tried to be a pretty nice guy, as an adult. (I don't know, maybe I ended up partly being that "nice guy", as well... Clueless.) I didn't need a bunch of "socialization". I needed some acknowledgement and acceptance of what worked for me, and what didn't. And some HONESTY. Some of the things that most fucked me over, were people being dishonest. Whether maliciously or with "good intentions". So, if someone had taught me how to (physically, when necessary) keep the bullies off. And that I could indeed trust my intuition. Well, retrospect, but I kind of think I would have had the rest. In most of my classes, I pretty much ended up teaching myself, anyway. And I remember the subset of genuinely good instructors who did teach me things. They didn't merely recite. They paid attention, and added things they could see would be informative and useful to me. "Gifted". Right there, in the use of that term: You're often dealing with someone who doesn't "get it". /bitterness P.S. Lately, I've been on a medication that tends to get me a bit ramped up while also short-circuiting some of my natural "attention to detail" (aka "pause and check", etc.) This may be reflected in some of my posts. Sorry. Also, why didn't I do this for myself, as an adult. Well, the last couple of years of college and right after, prior history culminated in a couple of serious injuries that took away from my physical capabilities. I'll add that, in my personal experience, that's a real cut-off: Once you experience physiological losses you can't recoup, your world changes. The journey back from that is much more difficult, especially if/when they start to snowball. Another real reason to teach kids how to take care of themselves. And to respect themselves (NOT what you arbitrarily tell them). Get them self-sufficient in keeping themselves in good health. "Health is wealth". Boy, did I learn the aptness of that as I got older.