Spinning on that dizzy edge

I have adamantly avoided the term "gifted" at all stages with my kids, though I am of the opinion that they are extremely smart and of course they do well in school. What I DO do is try to make sure they have the materials they need to grow on their own, without counting on school for all their learning, and emphasize the values of hard work and effort. I also have been very careful in school choice, making sure they get challenged enough.

FWIW, my kids are a lot like me - book-smart, but more interested in the arts than in "smart" fields. Madeline pushes the smart more than Rachel I think - certainly she is a much more avid reader, at 8 Hoovering up the Harry Potter books and Lord of the Rings - but she wants to be an artist. Rachel wants to be a dancer (and has the talent for it, IMNSHO). I refuse to burden them with a label that is going to make them feel guilty for choosing a non-academic path.