One of the most common misconceptions about gifted kids is the idea that these children automatically excel in every area. In reality, like all children, gifted kids have distinct individual aptitudes. This is especially apparent when it comes to creativity: Contrary to popular belief, not all intellectually gifted children are inherently creative, and not all creatively gifted kids are academically ...
As I was driving my four-year-old son to a friend's birthday party, a truck, stopped at the traffic light in front of us, had a four-wheeler in its bed with a newly-shot deer flopped over the seat and roped down to keep its carcass from sliding off. Immediately after taking in the lifeless body of the deer, my son became ...
For many parents, having a child who seems unusually introverted is a relief. There’s little need to worry about him sneaking off to parties, staying out past his curfew socializing, or getting into many other common forms of mischief. A quiet child is, according to conventional wisdom, a “good” child. If you’re the parent of a gifted kid, ...
Parenting a gifted child is a delicate balance: You know your child has incredible potential, so naturally, you want to see her live up to it. At the same time, however, you’re probably aware that gifted children are highly sensitive and tend to be hard on themselves… Meaning that parental enthusiasm and guidance can easily feel like crushing pressure ...
If your child is struggling behaviourally or academically, his school may recommend that he take what is known as a ...
Too often, the emotional side of giftedness is overlooked; for all that we laud the intellectual complexity of giftedness, seldom ...
While most of the issues adopted children face while growing up differ little from the challenges experienced by non-adopted children, ...
For gifted children, relaxation is often hard to come by. Not only can their bright and creative minds conjure up endless reasons to worry, these children are often perfectionists. They’re prone to being highly critical of themselves and can therefore become unhealthily driven. Alternately, they may be immobilized by fears of failure and rejection. It is therefore little wonder ...
Middle school is generally believed to be the most troubling transitional period in a child’s life. The abrupt change of moving from one school to another is followed by hormonal shifts, social upheaval, and a sudden driving need for independence that often causes stress at home. It is within this maelstrom that young people must begin to find their ...
Not all gifted children automatically flourish at school; for some, academic activities seem to be a source of frustration or boredom, even as those same children will happily apply considerable effort to demanding activities outside of school, exhibiting a great deal of creative potential. While many parents and educators are quick to assume a behavioral issue when presented with the ...
Too often, the emotional side of giftedness is overlooked; for all that we laud the intellectual complexity of giftedness, seldom do we contemplate—let alone praise—the emotional depth and complexity that accompanies it. The added emotional complexity of gifted children manifests in many different ways. It cannot be said that gifted children simply feel “more” than their non-gifted counterparts; ...
