Raising A Gifted Child? Some Things To Keep In Mind
Being a parent to any child is a wonderful, challenging, edifying, exhausting, rewarding pursuit. But when
your child has special educational needs, parents need to strive for a greater level of understanding and
involvement in their child’s education, supplementing it with the right activities, schedule and attitude in
the home to support their studies. While many think of special educational needs in terms of
learning difficultis or behavioural issues, it’s important to remember that a gifted or talented child
also represents a set of special educational needs.
your child has special educational needs, parents need to strive for a greater level of understanding and
involvement in their child’s education, supplementing it with the right activities, schedule and attitude in
the home to support their studies. While many think of special educational needs in terms of
learning difficultis or behavioural issues, it’s important to remember that a gifted or talented child
also represents a set of special educational needs.
Gifted kids need to be stimulated and challenged even as they need to be supported and nurtured. But it’s all too tempting when
raising particularly mature and intelligent kids to overestimate their abilities and overload them with activities and
responsibilities and cause them undue stress. Here are some tips to help you find that crucial balance.
raising particularly mature and intelligent kids to overestimate their abilities and overload them with activities and
responsibilities and cause them undue stress. Here are some tips to help you find that crucial balance.
Choose a balanced diet of activities
To be fair, this is good advice for the parents of any kid. Life is a smorgasbord for developing young minds ands they should be
given the opportunity to sample as many of its delights as possible from trying out an archery class to learning to
play pop songs on the ukulele at easyukulelesongs.com. Because your child is gifted they may well take to some things more
quickly and more readily than their peers, but make sure that you don’t bury them under an avalanche of
extra curricular activities.
given the opportunity to sample as many of its delights as possible from trying out an archery class to learning to
play pop songs on the ukulele at easyukulelesongs.com. Because your child is gifted they may well take to some things more
quickly and more readily than their peers, but make sure that you don’t bury them under an avalanche of
extra curricular activities.
Down time is fine
Even prodigious young minds need to switch off every now and then. While their intelligence and organizational skills may
enable them to get more done than their peers, they can easily over commit and get themselves stressed and frustrated.
All young minds need to be stimulated and exceptional minds are no exception. But even the greatest minds need some
down time to watch TV, play video games, read for fun or enjoy a day at the beach.
enable them to get more done than their peers, they can easily over commit and get themselves stressed and frustrated.
All young minds need to be stimulated and exceptional minds are no exception. But even the greatest minds need some
down time to watch TV, play video games, read for fun or enjoy a day at the beach.
Give compliments
Many parents of able, gifted and talented kids are acutely aware that their intelligence may alienate them
from their peers and worry that over praising them might make them imperious or arrogant, looking down
on the other kids at school. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gifted kids tend to be very humble and
their difference can make them socially insecure. Thus, you should be as forthcoming as possible with your praise and
complements. One habit you should avoid, however, is holding them up as an example to their siblings as someone to
aspire to or emulate. This is no good for either of them. While a little healthy sibling rivalry is appropriate every now and then,
it is unfair on both parties in this case.
from their peers and worry that over praising them might make them imperious or arrogant, looking down
on the other kids at school. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gifted kids tend to be very humble and
their difference can make them socially insecure. Thus, you should be as forthcoming as possible with your praise and
complements. One habit you should avoid, however, is holding them up as an example to their siblings as someone to
aspire to or emulate. This is no good for either of them. While a little healthy sibling rivalry is appropriate every now and then,
it is unfair on both parties in this case.
Be transparent
Your child should know everything that you know about their intelligence quotient and relative ability level that you do.
This will help them confront and deconstruct any reasons why they may not fit in amongst their peers. They will learn that they
are not average... and that’s a good thing.
This will help them confront and deconstruct any reasons why they may not fit in amongst their peers. They will learn that they
are not average... and that’s a good thing.
Finally, remember that intelligent kids are still kids and need to be treated as such. Even if they talk, think and act like
adults they have not yet formed the coping mechanisms that we have acquired through decades of experience.
adults they have not yet formed the coping mechanisms that we have acquired through decades of experience.
