The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids

by Myra Turner | More from this Blogger

Do you have a child who's gifted and don't know what to do with them? Join the club. It's great having a gifted child but sometimes you really don't know how to handle their gift. In The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids, the author lists eight gripes of parents with gifted kids. I can relate to most of them.

(1) No one really explains what having a gifted child is all about.

(2) Some parents don't like having their child labeled.

(3) Many gifted kids have unique problems and relatives and others adults don't truly understand just how difficult it is raising a gifted child.

(4) Some people accuse the parents of gifted kids of being on an ego trip.

(5) Some schools don't feel it is necessary to have special programs for gifted kids; they simply will do well in school in a regular class.

(6) Some people expect gifted kids to be gifted in everything or to act like adults.

(8) Rising a gifted child is exhausting.

In another section of the book parents talk about how they feel concerning the gifted label. Some favor it while others would like to see the term eliminated. Here's what some of the parents had to say:

(1) Some feel that labeling a child gifted may not be in the best interest of the child or parent as it can foster "inflated egos and elitist attitudes".

(2) Some parents feel that it is only the parents that don't have kids in a gifted program who have a problem with the label.

(3) One parent reported that it makes her daughter feel better about herself.

(4) It can sometimes cause resentment among peers.

Having a gifted child, an above average child, or whatever label you want to use is great. It has been an experience for me so far and I'm just beginning. I'm continuously amazed by Tyler's intelligence. And what's even more amazing is the number of people who have commented about how smart he is after talking with him for just a few minutes or in some cases simply from observing him in conversation with me. He processes information so quickly I can't believe it sometimes.

That's the bright side of life with a gifted child. On the darker side, many gifted kids have problems that require a lot of time and attention. If you've read my blogs regularly you know that Tyler is a handful and then some. And although cognitively he's two years ahead, developmentally he's still just six and has a lot of those irritating six-year-old behaviors. This is a fact I have to learn to cope with. As I said above, many people (myself included some times) feel gifted kids should act more adult-like but, well that's not going to happen. And it shouldn't. Gifted kids are kids first, gifted second.

Being the parent of a gifted child is joyous, frustrating, demanding and exciting. Would I be just as happy with an average kid or even a below average kid? You bet! Am I happy that he's gifted? You bet!

See also:

Gifted Programs and Honors Classes

I don't Want To Go To Gifted School!

Your Child Can Be Both Gifted and Learning Disabled

Learn more about Myra Turner

I'm a proud mid-life single mom with an active seven-year-old son, Tyler.

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