Posted by katilac on 16:42 Jan 8
In Reply to: Please help re: gifted son -- PLEASE posted by Dawn K
I would credit your dh with being genuinely concerned about your son. It's not 'bad' to have worries about your child's social skills, and it doesn't mean he thinks ds is a failure or that he doesn't love him.
Try to put your emotional reaction to the side, if you can. Don't be so hurt on your son's behalf that you don't listen to what dh is saying. Try not to focus on the fact that dh expressed it in a way that appears negative to you - - that's his fear talking.
I'm not saying he's correct that ds even has a problem, just that his concern merits attention.
If your son does need some coaching in social skills, that's not necessarily a big deal, and it's certainly better to address it now (at an age when other kids are still fairly forgiving).
The one thing that stands out to me the most is the continual talking even when others are not interested. It doesn't matter if a child's interests are mainstream or quirky; he needs to aquire the skill of 'tuning in' to what others in the group are talking about/interested in.
I would try to look at ds in an objective way, and, if there's someone you trust, ask him/her for their honest opinion.
Lots of kids need extra coaching on social skills. This may be the area where your ds needs to be explicitly taught, rather than reading or math. If so, addressing it now may save ds a lot of grief later on.