Does your kid exhibit any quirky, unusual behavior? Do you do anything about it?

OH MY Yes! I have an 11yr old daughter. She is definitely the odd ball of our family. I swear her father and I think she is from the 70's. She can't do any of the latest dances the kids are doing today and thank God for that! But instead she opts to do "the Michael Jackson" and "the robot" at school dances! Everyone laughs AT her but I tell her its ok laugh WITH them and she does and it works. She is very lovable and her teachers and friends love her and no longer make fun of her because of THEIR lack of understanding. She doesn't have any self esteem issues or withdrawal issues. Instead she is fearless, entering talent competitions at her school even though she didn't win...I love her fearlessness and I tell her I wish I was more like her in alot of ways. She prefers to stay inside and watch television programs like Mythbusters on Discovery channel and Man Vs. Nature also on the Discovery channel. Now don't get me wrong, she loves her Hanna Montana, Zack and Cody and Thats So Raven but I have to force her outside if Man Vs. Nature is on the television. She's left handed and extremely creative...She makes purses and sells them at school. She was chosen to attend Morehouse School of Science summer program on a full scholarship for her grades in Science and Math but because of me she wasn't able to go. So I definitely know there is something "different" about her and I LOVE it! If all of us choose to be individuals whether than conform to what people want us to be or what we think we should be then I think it would make for a more colorful and better society in some respects. I encourage all to check out this poem from Mother Teresa...It's AMAZING.

Wise Advice
from Mother Teresa
( because it was never between you and them )
_____________________________________________
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, if the final analysis
is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.
So Be You Anyway.

Just jeffrey,

Great post and very insightful. A perfect example of why we need more male teachers, especially in grade school, for the perspective that you bring, which is thoughtful and productive rather than adversarial and judgmental. Kudos to you!

Child diagnosis's...I believe many of the behaviors are learned...For example what does your daily routine look like to a child with limited understanding...and to try to copy or mimic you as we know children do, would lead a child with limited brain development to cheat and skip around and learn not to focus...they would have to concentrate less and jump from thing to thing...And their frustration at not being understood could lead to more confusion and lack of focus...when do children stop learning from there environment? And the faster paced environment with out the brain capacity can lead to a different way to perceive their environment and grow...On the other hand some kids learn to perceive and grow incredibly intelligent and their brains learn to cope and thrive under these same conditions...

I've worked with lots of children. I think the norm is that all kids can be a bit quirky...I always found it interesting to say something like, "I never did that when I was your age, can you help me understand why you did that?, and I won't punish you or tell anyone else." and the next step is to really try to understand the child based on the child, with no laughter or immediate suggestions, to show emotion other than a wow I never thought of that, would lead to the feeling of being judged and then from that point on, the answer becomes "I don't know" which ultimately means I don't know what to tell you, so you don't judge me negatively...My goal was to see the child's grouped understandings or vision...and eventually to take some understanding from the child's vision to help my vision grow or to add a little to the child's vision to help theirs grow...This type of listening to understand, teaches the child to question you this way, and this type of respectful communication can really bring a family together...Oh, and by the way, to try to think of what it would take you to be thinking, to act like your child, absolutely does not work, because we are all different and perceive things differently...My experience has taught me that with so many possible reasons to do what we do, to be so aligned would be very unlikely...also try it with your partner, family and co-workers...you will learn some amazing things...