Distressed

3 Years: “Mama, I’m distressed. (I bet you’ve never heard a three-year-old use the word ‘distressed’ before.)”

One of the curses of having a gifted child is that they have a tendency to know it, and pretty early on. That’s not always a bad thing. Unusual kids need to be prepared to live in a world that thinks and functions differently than they do. They need confidence and self-esteem. They need to know what is and isn’t typical about themselves. And they need to learn to adapt accordingly.

The downside, of course, is an arrogant streak, especially when they’re toddlers or preschoolers and haven’t learned the ropes of discretion or humility yet. If a child has learned that she can make any adult putty, simply by saying an unusual word in the right context, she’ll do it, and she’ll do it well.

My daughter was correct that I had never heard a three-year-old say “distressed” before. I had also never heard a three-year-old gloat about her vocabulary. I guess there’s a first time for everything.