Are you familiar with the Gifted Children’s Bill of Rights? It was written several years ago…oof, make that 15+ years ago…by Del Siegle, then-president of the NAGC. It’s a list of ten rights that gifted children have that nearly everyone forgets. Things like knowing about your giftedness, learning something new every day, to have an identity beyond their talent area, and not to be gifted at everything. I highly recommend checking it out and Tamara Fisher’s edweek article about it. It’s something that needs to be reviewed and shared every so often and I think it’s time for it to resurface.

Around the same time, Lisa Van Gemert wrote a companion list, The Bill of Rights for Parents of Gifted Children, in which she shared her list of ten rights that G2e parents have. This list included getting support for your child’s needs, not being accused of bragging, to allow your child to fail, and to celebrate their gifts. Also a list that needs to be reviewed and shared on a regular basis.

But because I am me, and I am nothing if not a G2e parental smart-ass, I feel the parent list needs to be updated for the 2020s. Let’s be honest, the last several years have been brutal. Global pandemic, upheaval of all sorts, the endless fraying of the societal safety net, the resurgence of Jello salads. The hits keep on coming, and so allow me to bring you The G2e Parent Bill of Rights for the New Era.

You have the right…

…to be trusted as an equal partner in the educational, emotional, and physical growth of your child without being patronized, ignored, or mocked.

…to be proud of your child’s accomplishments, whether that’s teaching themselves to read at 15 months or finally learning to tie shoes at age 12; that it’s the same child is to be expected.

…to disallow school to interfere with your child’s education; learning takes all forms and most of the time it ain’t in a building.

…to get out of the house and do something for you; not for your child, not for your spouse, not for the world at large, but for you.

…to make No a complete sentence, though pronouncing it in a dozen languages in rapid succession might get your point across more effectively; make sure Klingon is on that list.

…to tell anyone who corners you with unsolicited opinions where to go, how to get there, and what to do upon their arrival; salty language is strongly encouraged.

…to pair meltdowns, parent-teacher conferences, therapy sessions, and (always a favorite) the-spouse-is-traveling-and-all-hell-is-breaking-loose days with your beverage of choice without comment.

…to not enjoy every blasted moment of G2e parenting because OMG it is hard and anyone who tries to guilt you about it is hereby cursed with incurable armpit fleas and a sneeze that never quite achieves blast off.

…to lock yourself into a bathroom, exhaust fan on high, and scream into a towel until you’re hoarse; it’s recommended to take wine with you as it is soothing to both body and mind.

…to dive deep into your soul and play pickleball with the gremlins cavorting down there instead of listening with rapt attention to the ceaseless rambling of your child about things you know infinity zero about.

I hope this list has been entertaining enlightening, and that it kick-starts some very important conversations. Conversations about what you’re going to do just for you, what kind of adult beverage pairs best with surviving a DefCon 1 meltdown, and if armpit fleas are a strong enough curse or if that should escalate to terminal booger-hanging-out-of-the-nose.

Parenting and educating gifted and twice-exceptional kids ain’t for the faint of heart, we all know that. It sure doesn’t need to be made any harder, and laughter with others in the same leaky boat is how we survive and thrive. Go forth and laugh, my friends. You have the right.