Gifted or Just A Smarty Pants?

Since Ned started his new preschool four weeks ago, he has interacted with new teachers who knew nothing about him when he arrived. Within two weeks they told me they thought he was exceptionally bright and that I would have a lot of work ahead of me. He has also been into work twice with me (due to a high fever and nothing else but they won't keep him at school) and as I work at a university there are gifted and smarty pants people there, who have told me that Ned is unusually bright for a child his age. He is not even three and a half yet and I already know he is smart, but I am not sure about gifted. You don't want to label your kids, you don't want them growing up to be nerdish and incapable of functioning in the real world because their brains are off solving some sort of math problem, but you also don't want to deny them their education or prevent them from absorbing every bit of knowledge that they possibly can.

These are some characteristics of gifted children:

• Curiosity (definitely)
• Early an extensive language development (Ned was speaking Spanish at 2 and understanding exactly what he was saying)
• Early recognition of caretakers, for example, smiling (yes)
• Enjoyment and speed of learning (I cannot keep up with the kid!)
• Excellent sense of humor (he really does say the funniest things)
• Extraordinary memory (definitely)
• High activity level (non stop!)
• Intense reactions to noise, pain or frustration (sometimes, not always)
• Less need for sleep in infancy (as a three week old baby, he would take 20 minute naps and would be wide awake for hours!)
• Sensitivity and compassion (he is very in touch with his feelings)
• Unusual alertness in infancy (definitely)

Now I know there are mothers out there that brag about their kids, saying they are "genius kids" and all that crap, when you know that while they may not be as dumb as a box of rocks, they are certainly no Albert Einstein. I kind of find myself wanting to brag about Ned but wondering if I have got it all wrong and maybe he is just a normal kid? I have no other children of my own to compare him to, but when people who are relative strangers are telling me they think he is smart, I always do agree.

I will get him tested when he reaches the appropriate age, and I hope I don't turn him into a nerd who gets beat up by the jocks, but I also want to make sure he gets the best out of life and has every opportunity he deserves. In the meantime, I am just going to let him be the funny, smart and sassy kid that he is, and love every minute of it!