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| “Helping Your Children to Make Peace with Their Gifts!” “If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.” Brian Tracy |
It goes without saying that gifted children are as varied in their academic,
psychological and social needs as the households that produce them. Some
children have successfully managed to integrate their academic gifts and talents
with who they are as a person while others struggle to make such adjustments.
One thing I hear most as an acceleration coach from parents is how their child
exhibits scholastic talent at home but “dumb themselves down” to avoid being
singled out in school. We as parents know all too well the disastrous affects this
behavior can have not just on our children’s academic career but on their self-esteem
and the realization of their full potential.
Going along to just “get along” can cause children to lose their sense of self by constantly seeking
outside approval ‐ yielding to the will and intentions of others. For many kids this has led to
profound stress, depression and exaggerated teenage angst that further complicate the natural
maturation process. Whereas for gifted children whose parents have taken the time to instill the
confidence that comes through a balanced recognition of their precociousness (through the
meticulous amending of their children’s educational and social needs to complement their
intellectual prowess), many of them have gone on to enjoy healthy self‐concepts and fulfilling
careers.
So how can YOU as a parent help your child to find equilibrium as a gifted child? Here are a few
suggestions:
Parents please remember that navigating this terrain isn’t just a matter of spontaneous spurts of
adequate gifted instruction and personal attention. Raising precocious children requires
commitment, skill and a lot of loving‐kindness (in the form of patience) to realize a successful
outcome.
Take solace in that the many parents who have come before you on this journey have already
achieved the results they desired. You can most assuredly take your place among them!
Best regards,
Michelle Brown-Stafford
Acceleration Coach/Gifted Education
www.gifted-spirit.com
6851 Gangle Court
Lithonia, GA 30058
"Making Peace with Their Gifts" Ezine
For the week beginning August 24, 2009
psychological and social needs as the households that produce them. Some
children have successfully managed to integrate their academic gifts and talents
with who they are as a person while others struggle to make such adjustments.
One thing I hear most as an acceleration coach from parents is how their child
exhibits scholastic talent at home but “dumb themselves down” to avoid being
singled out in school. We as parents know all too well the disastrous affects this
behavior can have not just on our children’s academic career but on their self-esteem
and the realization of their full potential.
Going along to just “get along” can cause children to lose their sense of self by constantly seeking
outside approval ‐ yielding to the will and intentions of others. For many kids this has led to
profound stress, depression and exaggerated teenage angst that further complicate the natural
maturation process. Whereas for gifted children whose parents have taken the time to instill the
confidence that comes through a balanced recognition of their precociousness (through the
meticulous amending of their children’s educational and social needs to complement their
intellectual prowess), many of them have gone on to enjoy healthy self‐concepts and fulfilling
careers.
So how can YOU as a parent help your child to find equilibrium as a gifted child? Here are a few
suggestions:
- If they are already sensitive to having gifts and talents that sets them apart from their
peers, try to avoid using the terms “gifted”, “genius”, or “precocious”. More than likely,
they want to be perceived as normal and singling them out even further by sticking them
with these labels will only exacerbate the situation.
- Be creative in finding ways to focus on and further develop their gifts at home without the
use the above-mentioned terms. Just because they may not want to be identified as gifted
around their peers doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t want to engage in their gifts
outside of school. They can’t help it! It’s just the way their brains are wired! Typically, who
they are at their core will consistently drive them to want to learn and excel ‐ albeit
privately!
- It is a known fact by experts that when children engage in activities they love and perform
exceptionally well in…they become enthusiastic and inspired! This is where they find their
POWER and within that their confidence will soar. You want to build up their self‐esteem
to the point where they become particularly proud of their gifts/talents and begin to stop
caring about how others may perceive them.
- Finally, honor and acknowledge their personality/character traits. Tie some of their
personal attributes to a successful life skill. For instance, once my daughter had difficulty
grasping the way a particular lesson was being presented in her Pre‐calculus class. After
struggling a few minutes with the homework, she took the initiative to refer to other
resources on the same lesson to find a “better way” that she could comprehend the
information. Her tenacity and determination did pay off; attributes that serve as
cornerstones to achievement in all of life’s endeavors! - Acknowledging the other personal virtues of children will help them to develop as a whole
person and come to appreciate how they more than just their gifts.
Parents please remember that navigating this terrain isn’t just a matter of spontaneous spurts of
adequate gifted instruction and personal attention. Raising precocious children requires
commitment, skill and a lot of loving‐kindness (in the form of patience) to realize a successful
outcome.
Take solace in that the many parents who have come before you on this journey have already
achieved the results they desired. You can most assuredly take your place among them!
Best regards,
Michelle Brown-Stafford
Acceleration Coach/Gifted Education
www.gifted-spirit.com
6851 Gangle Court
Lithonia, GA 30058
"Making Peace with Their Gifts" Ezine
For the week beginning August 24, 2009
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