NATIONAL PARENTING GIFTED CHILDREN WEEK
During the third week in July, National Parenting Gifted Children Week creates an opportunity to raise awareness to improve understanding and provide successful alternatives for children with higher than average intelligence.
Defining a gifted child isn’t easy. A brilliant or intelligent child is not necessarily a gifted child. In fact, not all gifted children are high-achievers and not all high-achieving children are gifted. In most instances, a highly intelligent child has a unique set of traits in intellectual processing, personality attributes, and emotional development.
Challenges of Having A Gifted Child
Gifted children have an insatiable curiosity that feels like an unsolvable puzzle. The pieces are there, but don’t exactly fit. Helping a gifted child reach their goals requires a special skill set for parents. Since gifted children see the world differently, parents face unique challenges.
More than often, parents find it difficult to help their bright child overcome obstacles an average child normally works through. Parents of a gifted child also struggle to provide a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment to motivate, discipline, and guide their child. Unfortunately, intellectual children struggle with an overwhelming loneliness that never seems to fade.
Additional Challenges
Gifted children come with a unique set of special needs. Because of this, most school programs and educational facilities are unsure how to stimulate a child’s gifts. Furthermore, they are unable to help them mature in ways that bring out their full potential. Since brilliant children are highly talented and intelligent, there are very little class courses available for them. In fact, many end up being stunted in their social, physical, emotional, spiritual, or intellectual growth due to lack of stimulation.
Traits of Gifted Child
When the needs of a gifted child are not met or are misunderstood, they often exhibit traits or behaviors that resemble certain medical conditions. In fact, many intelligent children receive a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, formerly known as ADHD. Sadly, the misdiagnosis results in unnecessary medication that causes inadvertent harm to the child.
Though we all think our children are gifted, there are specific traits many gifted children process. Some of these prominent traits include:
- Exhibiting extraordinary abilities.
- Task commitment and strong motivation.
- High levels of creativity.
- High talents in at least two areas, but possibly slow in other areas such as physical, emotional, social, and spiritual intellect.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalParentingGiftedChildrenWeek
Start a support group for parents of gifted children. Consider volunteering for a gifted program in your area.
Join the conversation on social media and use #nationalparentinggiftedchildrenweek to show your support for ingenious children everywhere.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL PARENTING GIFTED CHILDREN WEEK
National Parenting Gifted Children Week began in 2007 in conjunction with the National Special Events Registry. Sponsored by the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC), the week is part of the group’s mission of advocating on behalf of gifted children to seek support for gifted and talented children.
