It is hard when you have kids who are above average. You have to encourage them to do things that are above their abilities sometimes so they can learn to fail and come out whole. And that’s really hard for the parent. My sons were all GT. I was so glad they got into GT classes because finally they were in classes where there were kids who were actually smarter than they were. They needed that.
And some of those sorts of kids are loathe to try things they are not already good at. Hang in there tho. He will need you when he falls down, not so much to pick him up, but to help dust him off and push him forward. And maybe a little hug. :) And btw, I feel so sorry for all those people out there who just opt not to have kids. They are missing the greatest thing in the world. My 3 boys are the most wonderful things in my life. Even when I want to pinch their heads off...
I always make a point to tell my kids that making mistakes and failing is a part of life, it’s how you adjust to failure that determines whether you will be a success, or not.
This has always been a problem with our son. One that we didn't push at the time (we honestly didn't think it was a problem), but now that he is facing difficulties, the whole "I'm not perfect, like I thought I was" is catching up with him.
He is handling it all pretty well, I just wanted to point out to others, that even if your child is "above average", and you are soooooooooooooo proud of them, there is another side to the coin.
I also feel sorry for people that forgo children. God only blessed us with one (we would have had a football team's worth if we could). But that one that God did give us turned out pretty damn good (just not as perfect as he assumed he was HA HA).