101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids review and giveaway!

The good news is that I finally got MacDreamy2 fixed today without having to humble myself at the Genius Bar. The bad news is that it took the better part of my “the kids are at school” day and I’m just now getting to this post. It was a combination of smartypants computer and human error (note: write down the password AS you’re typing it in and NEVER EVER EVER change a password when the kids are bickering nearby) and the relief was not unlike swallowing a mouthful of Dave’s Insanity (just feels soooo good when it’s over).

So I’m late and crazed and let’s cut to the chase.

Not surprisingly, I loved 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids. It is so readable and down to earth and that was my favorite part. Too often writers, especially those writing about parenting or parenting special populations, forget that their audience is parents. We don’t necessarily have the available brain power when we’re reading, usually late at night, to absorb information. Christine’s two books are both just so accessible and refreshing and I love that I’m able to read them at any level of exhaustion and glean tidbits that will help my family.

101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids was written as a handbook for kids. A doesn’t know it yet, but he and I are going to read through this book together this summer. Nearly every page I was thinking, “Ooh, this could help him!” or “Dang, wish he’d known that earlier this year!” He’s at that Oh-My-Holy-Hell age known as Tweendom and that’s hard enough without the gifted wiring janking things up. That the advice comes from other kids and explained by an experienced school counselor makes it hard to ignore. Ignoring mom is easy. Until she gets all up in your face about it. Then it’s Danger Zone and eggshells and maybe I’ll make myself scarce for a wee bit.

I also thought it was a great book for me. Me as a gifted adult, not me as the mom of gifted sons. There were some great reminders in there for me, like…ohh…every single success secret about stress. You may not have noticed, but I’m wound a bit tight. No, really! I am! And while I try to make myself believe it hasn’t always been that way, I’m starting to admit I was probably like that as a kid and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my family for not leaving me out in the snow. I’m also going to smack Tom with a copy of this book lovingly suggest my husband take a gander at this as well, for he might find a few secrets applicable to himself. Ahem.

So this is where you now go toddling off to procure a copy of this publication. You won’t regret it. This is also where I have the Big Reveal of who won the copy I’m giving away here. Because I spent the better part of my day yelling at my computer to FOR THE LOVE OF STEVE JOBS ACCEPT THE FRACKING PASSWORD!!!, I didn’t want to chance a blood pressure spike with a random number generator, which would inevitably implode and the internet would cease to exist. It’s been that kind of day. Instead I grabbed the nearest child and ordered him to look cute for the pictures I was going to take of him drawing a name. Cross my heart, may I choke on my margarita tonight, this was an honest drawing.

 

 

And the winner?

Monica from the Parents of Gifted Children Resource Group!

And with that, my dear friends, I hear sibling fighting interaction from outside over the roar of the margaritas chilling in the fridge, so I suspect I’d better go investigate. I’ll be sure to give thanks tonight that I didn’t have to type this with my iPhone-loving thumbs.