Rage is par for the the course with gifted children.  Gifted children often have the mental ability to comprehend the inane, the insane, the beyond level…but their emotions are still rooted in their planetary age.

My eldest (tested gifted) child cries.  She collapses into herself with a crying rage. When she was younger, she would break things, hit walls, stomp, slam doors.  Now, she cries, apparently uncontrollably, while saying things like “what’s wrong with me, and God! Help Me!”.

My middle child (suspected gifted) also cries, and throws himself on the floor, kicking and screaming.  Before he gets worked up, he will hold his stomach and cringe, like he’s in pain.  He probably is in pain.

My youngest (musically gifted, vision impaired) throws himself at people.  When he’s upset, he’s tantruming on you, pulling your hair, pulling on your clothes; whoever the target of his frustration might be.

I want to yell at them to stop.  Convince them to talk to “use their words”.  In the midst of this, I just want to walk away.  People say that I should love these years, that I’ll miss them.  I doubt that…  I personally long for the teenage years.  I long for the age when they don’t depend on me for comfort…they turn to their peers.  They will challenge me, but I can talk to them.  They won’t listen…but they might hear me…but most of all, they won’t be invading my space, I’ll be invading theirs.  I can then search for connection…I can be a consistent friend, empathize with their need to fit in, challenge their value system, appeal to logic.  In theory. But these little monsters in my house? They defy simple theory. They require love.

My daughter, age 6, can’t call her best friend when she’s upset.  She can’t deal with self failure, criticism, and can’t understand why.  She knows rules, but has no control over them.  She loves her mother..her family, but loves herself more.  Her mother can’t reason with that.  Who am I?  I am to be the hugger, when she and I both hate hugs.  I am the voice of control when we are both free spirits.  I long for her to stomp to her room, and slam the door.  That I can deal with. Yet, it is much more important to remain connected so that when she is older, I’ll be allowed to open the door.  So, I’ve learned to offer to read a story, to send her to another world where her feelings can spill over, and be lost in imagination.  It helps me, and so it helps her.

My middle son, almost 4 knows…feels earnestly that I SHOULD LOVE HIM.  Why can’t I love him the way he wants, only he knows.  Praise is unheard, everything is unheard.  He is in a rage that sound cannot penetrate.  This rage is normal…so I have learned.  Preschoolers are in their emotional center.  I need to pick him up, hold him tight.  Kiss him until he giggles.  Then…because he is 3, we can talk.  But, I need to leave now…for work, for school, for church….i don’t have time for hugs and giggles so we can talk….and he hears the unsaid….the untrue “You DON’T LOVE ME!”.  So I’m a little late…so I can kiss to giggle to talk in the car. It makes me tired.  But this too shall pass.  He will be 6 one day, and then 16, and then I will want to be able to tell him not to smoke because I love him, and want him around.

But who can understand a 2 year old?  Especially a two year old who can’t see 2 feet in front of him?  So he brings the tantrum to me….because only then can he know that I “see” him.  That I “see” his pain.  That he is independent of me…and he needs me to know that he is upset.  So I am the platform for his tantrum.  And there is no conversation afterwards….just “that hurt mommy”, “mommy sad”, “mommy wants outside, okay? can we get shoes to go outside, in the car?”, “yes, J. can bring dadoo”.  Sooo tired.

I’m allowed to be tired right?  Mommies are allowed to be tired.  And that is why we sleep, lest we tantrum too.