Episode 01: The Parent Liaison

Twelve years ago, my son started first grade and my journey to find all the answers began. But wait, actually...

Nineteen years ago, my son was born and my journey to find all the answers began.

But of course, I started even before then, just like many of us do. I was thinking about him and planning for him long before he was born. As a teacher, I was planning his due date so I’d be able to make the most of my summer break. Before he was born, he was on preschool waitlists. We did the math and found our combined income would be the same whether I went back to teaching or not, so I made the choice to stay home. I’m still so glad I made that choice.

I joked that I was the “stay at home mom who never stayed at home”. We had activities nearly every day of the week. Playdates, swim lessons, zoo tots, gymnastics. Later there was children’s theater, tennis lessons, golf lessons, soccer clinics, lollipop league baseball, art classes. We kept busy. He was learning what he liked and what he didn’t. Sometimes he’d like things for a while, then phase them out. He was learning skills, sure. He was learning about teamwork, which is great. But together, we were finding our community.

So fast forward to first grade, where this essay began. The kid started first grade. He was in a new school. We were in a new neighborhood. He had been identified as gifted in kindergarten and some of his quirks started to make sense. Sensitivities, anxieties, a sense of justice that already matched mine. These were all characteristics of gifted people, but I didn’t feel like I knew enough to help him. How do you explain to the soccer coach that your kid is panicking about the rain because he’s scared it will become a tornado. How to you explain to the teacher that when he gets a scrape he’s breaking down because he’s sure it will become infected and he’ll die. The idea of a teacher conference was overwhelming - and me, a former teacher!

After a chat, AKA venting session, with his gifted teacher, she referred me to a support group for parents of gifted children. I popped into a few meetings, got involved, got recruited into a leadership position, and never looked back. I led the group for more than a decade and started advocating at a state level. Turns out, while helping my kid and my family, I can also help others in my community.

And that’s why I’m here. My kid has graduated out of our school district, but I’m not done helping my community. I want stick with what I know, helping to educate, advocate, and connect with people about so many of the topics we all struggle with.

I’m not the expert, but I can help you connect with the experts. And together we can grow and find our way one connection at a time.

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