Parenting Gifted Kids

Book excerpt: A gifted education Legacy Award winner, Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children provides a humorous, engaging, and encouraging look at raising gifted children today. James R. Delisle, Ph.D., offers practical, down-to-earth advice that will cause parents to reexamine the ways they perceive and relate to their children. Dr. Delisle puts forward 10 tips to parents of gifted children—ideas that reflect attitude and approach and allow for introspection and change, rather than quick, do-it-tonight solutions. Some topics of interest include understanding a child's giftedness, working with the school system, dealing with perfectionism in gifted kids, and being adult role models for children. Along the way, stories from gifted children and their parents provide insight into the lives of these individuals. What sets this book apart from other books for parents of gifted kids is its expansion beyond mere platitudes. Dr. Delisle's tips go beyond the basics, focusing on attitude, reflection, and subtle changes, rather than specific, cookie-cutter recipes for action. The 10 tips suggested and expanded upon in this book include: understanding what giftedness is . . . and what it is not; understanding the differences between gifted kids and their agemates; understanding the personality traits of gifted kids, including overexcitabilities; taking charge of your child's education; understanding the issue of perfectionism in gifted kids; examining social nuances and myths related to giftedness; examining the similarities parents share with their gifted children; setting reasonable goals; helping gifted children make a difference in the lives of others; and remembering that gifted children are kids first and gifted second. Educational Resource