Understanding and encouraging the exceptionally gifted child from Hoagiesgifted.com
When the exceptionally gifted confront disappointment, they most often respond with profoundly internalized grief. When they confront injustice, they are incensed. When they are depressed, it seems, and often is, life threatening. When they are happy, it is with a deeper experience of joy. This depth of response to all emotional experience is exaggerated because of their intense awareness brought to nearly any situation. They are aware of more. They seek more. They need more. Their needs for others to listen, explain, support, and nurture are intensified. They also have more to give in return.
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Cornell's studies [1981] report that parents of a gifted child tend to overinvest in that child. An exceptionally gifted child in the family needs a great deal of stimulation and demands attention. Exceptional dedication is required. Parenting exceptionally gifted children can be an intense and awesome experience
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One parent expressed that an exceptionally gifted child required an abundance of Power, Attention, and Time." They need more PATs! For parents, this role can become awesome and exhausting, but the burden does not need to be borne by parents alone. Parents can creatively broaden their resources through a network of other adults. Auxiliary care givers such as interested neighbors, relatives, friends and church members can be accessed to contribute to a broader base of stimulation, care, trust, and mentoring for exceptional children.
This article was very good and true.
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5 comments:
This article really hits home with me, the issues we are dealing with, the sensitivity and the isolation to just name a couple, are challenging. We have been using a journal & a diary with my child for the reasons mentioned. It is interesting to me that it is recomended.
It is also strange that I often ask my spouse if we are over invested; thinking or worrying too much about what is going to happen to her and are we making the right decisions for the right reasons.
Thanks for the article.
Elf Owl
Elf-Owl
We haven't tried a journal yet. I have kept one through-out my life though.
-Cher Mere
Gosh, it is amazing to see the similarities between your girl and mine, even though mine is a bit older. We've been doing fractions and some days she tunes in and is getting it and is interested, and other days she is just tossing out totally random guesses for simple addition like 2+4 (well, 2/6 plus 4/6, but she knows how that works). And boy can I see my girl reading the placards in her British accent (thanks to reading HP aloud she has developed several variations!). Reading about you and Z helps me remember that my daughter is not a total freak! :) (p.s., yes, feel free to link to me)
Found your blog through your comment at mine, and I'm practically in tears again.
Please do link to me, and when I remember my blogroll password, I'll link to you!
Nice idea with this site its better than most of the rubbish I come across.
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