The Best Kind of Summer for Your 2e Child Might Look Different Than You Think

My 2e child spent a summer living like a Warrior Cat. Here’s what they’re doing now.

As May gives way to June, the pressures of the school year may be starting to wind down—but for those of us with twice-exceptional (2e) kids, the transition to summer can bring its own challenges. Whether we’re preoccupied with finding a 2e-friendly summer program, staving off the “summer slide,” or scouting out resume-building activities, we can’t help but worry that if our kids aren't making progress toward some sort of formalized goal, they are falling behind. 

But after raising my own 2e kids, plus shepherding countless others through school in my years as an educator, I am happy to report that it’s OK, and even healthy, to challenge those assumptions—and summer is the perfect time to do it. 

My favorite example of this is the summer that one of my own kids (they/them) became completely obsessed with the Warrior Cats book series. When I say obsessed, I don’t just mean they loved the books—I mean they wanted to become a Warrior Cat.

I admit I was intrigued. So, going against what I believed at the time to be my better judgment, I allowed my curiosity to win out. I had to know: What would becoming a Warrior Cat look like?

On the surface, becoming a Warrior Cat looked like spending every day running around in the backyard, coming home with wild berries in their pockets, arrows made from sticks held in a pouch sewn from rags, and dirt everywhere, all while checking none of the boxes we parents are led to believe are important.

But it turned out to be so much more. Intrinsically motivated to become a good and caring member of the Warrior Cat clan, my child was determined to learn how to make a poultice out of berries, plants, and leaves that could heal an injured animal. 

Immersed in their imaginary world, they learned incredible things about the real world: botany, chemistry, biology. And I learned that if we don’t prioritize unstructured time, we risk robbing our kids of something exciting: the opportunity to get bored enough to use their imagination to come up with something to do. 

This stays true even as our kids get older; they need freedom to explore without always thinking about how things will look on a college application. I don’t say this to minimize the importance of college admissions. (Quite the contrary; before founding FlexSchool, I cofounded Ivy Ed, a college preparation firm.)

No, what I mean is that if your child spends time digging deep into something they really love, that is an activity that can go on the college application. They don’t need to join the French club; activities don’t have to fit into a box. If your child loves to tinker with electronics and fixes all the neighbors' computer equipment, that shows skill and a spirit of service or entrepreneurship, all of which look great on an application—no formal program required.

If you still have doubts, I offer you this update on my little Warrior Cat: They graduated from college with a degree in environmental science, and they now have a fulfilling career in scientific technical writing. 

Wishing you and your 2e child the best of summers—whatever that may look like for them.

For free tools and resources to improve your 2e child’s experience, visit 2e 101. 

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About Jacqui Byrne

Jacqui Byrne is the founder of FlexSchool—an accredited private school where gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) students can develop their talents among intellectual peers in a nurturing environment. An award-winning educator and sought-after speaker, Jacqui serves on the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education Advisory Council and holds a degree from Yale University. She is also the parent of twice-exceptional kids.