Being a "gifted child" is a big label to have to live up to. Many children never feel quite comfortable with it because it sets them apart at a time when they really want to be more like the other children they know. Being gifted often brings praise and attention, but experts and parents alike recognize that it can also cause anxiety and stress in children.
Lansing-based education consultant, John McLaughlin, Ed.D, suggests that gifted children are often put under too much pressure to meet society's expectations for them.
"We have to remember that they are just kids." One of the best gifts that you can give your own gifted child is to understand that he or she has more needs than just the academic ones.
McLaughlin also thinks it is important to let your gifted child explore and discover his talents. Many parents unintentionally force their desires on their kids based on their perceptions of the child's strengths. Encouraging your child to explore his or her interests through activities after school will reduce the stress and maybe even help to create a lifelong passion or hobby.
A recent study by the Gifted Development Center notes that over 60 percent of children who are considered gifted are also considered to be introverts. Their feelings of isolation can be overwhelming.
Make sure that you provide opportunities for your gifted child to be with children who are like him. It may relieve some pressures and keep him from feeling so isolated. But don't forget to prepare your child to get along with other people. Experts also say that working with your child on how to handle social situations where he or she is the only gifted child (and therefore "different") can be helpful. Together, you can help reduce stressful moments and give your child the tools to cope with his gifts later in life.
Sometimes the stress of consistently high expectations becomes too much for a child. He might start to work below his capabilities in order to reduce the pressure to perform. Teachers and administrators also see gifted children having behavioral "meltdowns" when they are not being challenged. Expecting too little from gifted students is as stressful for them as expecting other students to work far above their understanding and capabilities. It is vital for parents to constantly monitor the level of work and challenges their child is being given. They may even need to add to the opportunities available in school, by seeking out additional community resources at museums, colleges and after-school programs.
Most importantly, make time for your child to just kick back and relax. It's tempting to fill a gifted child's life with academic and artistic stimulus every second of the day. Everybody, especially a child, needs to have some downtime to de-stress.
Andrea King Collier is a parent and a freelance writer in Lansing, Michigan.