Parent Talk / September 2007
Tips for Parents of Gifted Children
By Jack Rock
Parenting in itself is a challenging task. Parenting becomes even more challenging when one is the parent of a gifted child
It’s true. Most parents want to believe that their children are gifted in some way. While it may be true that different kids have different talents and intelligences, there are simply some children who are way over the top. Recognize if your child is truly gifted. Common signs are if your child can finish work exceedingly faster than her/his peers and if she/he is able to read and understand material that is not intended for her/his age. Your gifted child may also exhibit above average abilities in the arts or other fields. Have your child tested by professionals. You may also ask for special assistance from school counselors or ask them to recommend special ways to help your child.
Probably the best thing to ensure that your gifted child grows up well adjusted is to communicate unconditional love and acceptance. You should communicate with your child and tell her/him that you love her/him for who she/he is and not because she/he can perform well in school or because she/he does things perfectly. While it is a good to show appreciation and praise for achievement, make sure that you tell your children that you would still love them anyway even if she/he didn’t get a perfect score or an honor ribbon.
A related tip to unconditional love is making sure that your child knows that not everything can be perfect at all times. This is crucial because gifted children may easily get frustrated as grown ups when things don’t always go their way.
Gifted children may easily get bored over something they’ve easily mastered. Introduce a variety of topics and learning experiences. This will give you the chance to discover his/her strong points of interest and keep his/her learning topics at a healthy balance. Part of parenting is to school your child on social matters. It may be well and good to let her/him enjoy various educational books and CDs but consider letting her/him join play groups. Let your child socialize with other kids.
While it is a good to offer various learning experiences, it is also important not to overdo it. You may have enrolled your child in violin classes, swimming lessons, advanced math classes, a reading group and a variety of other classes. You might be overloading your child with responsibilities. We all know it’s not pleasant to be overloaded so go easy on your child. Remember, your child is still essentially a child, so let them enjoy a little play and childish relaxation.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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