Surviving The

Gifted Child

and enjoying

Do you recognize this child?

Extraordinary speed in processing information.

A need for precision in thinking and expression.

An extraordinary degree ofintellectual curiosity.

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A fascination with ideas and words.

An unusual capacity for memory.

A high degree of emotionalsensitivity.

Unusual and early insight into social and moral issues.

A need for the world to be logical and fair.

Conviction of correctness of personal ideas and beliefs.

Is a perfecshunist.

Is a purphecksionist.

Is a perfectionyst.

#@*&**^@#!!!!!!.

Is a perfectionist.

Has a sense of humor.

Can be argumentative.

Evaluates and judges critically.

Anything sound familiar?

What can I do at home

that will helpmy child?

Play word games andask “What if?” questions.

(Great for travel times and at bedtime.)

To foster creativity,ask for more

detail, combinations of ideas,unusual perspectives, going

beyond first ideas.

Provide as muchexposure to museums,

art, concerts, and travel experiencesas is possible for your budget

and time constraints.

Ask stimulating and thought-provoking questions.

You won’t get the sameanswers you get when you ask

“What did you do today?

Encourage yourchild to follow his

passions, even if you don’tshare them.

Make sure your childhas free time to daydream,

invent,and create what she wants.

Time for another Calvin.

Personal Talent: an exceptional ability to selectand attain difficult goals that fit one’s interests,

abilities, values, and contexts.

How can you help your child attain personal talent?

Give your child plenty of decision-makingopportunities.

Allow your child to solve his own problems.

Encourage these dispositions:

OptimismHope

AltruismResilience

There is a fine line between “helping” and “doing”.When you do or redo a task, assignment, or

school project for your child,what she hears is something you wouldn’t dare

dream or say,“You are incompetent.”

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: 

A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... 

a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, 

a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, 

and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the

overpowering necessity to create, create, create - - - so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of

meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not

really alive unless he is creating." 

-Pearl Buck-