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Stress surrounding the gifted child

August 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Parenting and stress are like peanut butter and jelly they just go together! When you toss in the stress and challenge of a gifted child in that mix, it will grow just a little bit more. Studies have shown that gifted children have a heightened sensitivity to their environment, events, ideas and expectations that revolve around them. When they strive for unrealistic expectations it can cause a stress overload.
A few of those stressors can be too many extracurricular activities such as: sports, clubs, etc. Children don’t always know what is best for them so it is your responsibility as the parent to make sure they are not overextending themselves in this area.
One of the key stresses that affect all children is self-esteem. At middle school into the high school years, they just want to fit in. They don’t want to be distinguished as “different” from their fellow classmates. When a child’s self-esteem begins to deteriorate their concentration falters, they become even more sensitive to criticism, and they begin to perform less, and become devastated when they do fail.
It is of the essence that the child has a stable and secure support system, who can do anything from getting payday cash advance to hold their hand. This will help them cope with their intellectual, social, and emotional needs through the stages of adolescence. They need to be helped in understanding their gifts, but also understanding the similarities and differences that they have with other students. This needs to come from someone educated on this, not their peers who will use it to their advantage as hurtful.
The gifted child will cope a lot healthier if they are able to wrap their minds around accepting their abilities, talents, and limits. Again, they are normal children besides their accelerated mind capabilities; they still need help in developing social skills to use in life.
Ultimately, the journey is one of figuring out the difference between the pursuits of excellence versus the pursuit of perfection.

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How To Encourage Your Teenaged Child To Study Harder?

July 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Parents often face trouble with their teenage children because they fail to understand that old methods of communicating with their children will no longer work with their teenaged child. Many gifted students stop studying during their teenaged years because they feel unappreciated by their parents.

When your child is young, he or she may want to excel in studies to make you happy. However, when teenage arrives, the child begins to develop his or her own identity and develops an ego. In such a scenario, the child may not be interested in getting good grades simply to satisfy you. Rather, he or she may focus on self-satisfaction and adopt a more selfish approach.

Many parents make the mistake of taking their children’s obedience for granted. They presume that the child should do well in school because they have done a favor by being a good parent for the child. Well, do you think you would appreciate such a sentiment? Obviously not.

As your child grows, you should set up a quid pro Quo system where you appreciate the child for efforts made and acknowledge that the child is going to benefit a lot in the future from his or her efforts. Instead of demanding good grades as a right, you should express appreciation that the child is considerate enough to work hard for you. That is the right way to motivate your teenaged child to continue being a good student despite the physical and emotional changes in the teen’s life.

 

 

 

 

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Gifted Children – More or Deeper?

June 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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As more and more attention is focused on keeping students up to par and not leaving any behind, we seem to be leaving some behind where they might be otherwise. Gifted children often slide through only accomplishing a portion of what they are capable of doing.

Recognizing the Gifted

As students start in kindergarten or maybe first grade, they move along learning new things, adapting to the new environment of being in traditional schools and learning how to get along with others their own age. They are often caught up in the newness of the experience that they stay focused on one thing or another. As they progress on to other grades changes occur. Teachers need to be trained to differentiate the gifted bored student from the students who are behind. Some students are out ahead, getting done with the assignments in record time, and doing them correctly. Other students fall behind, not being able to pay attention, not understanding the material etc. Unfortunately, several from both groups become bored and begin causing problems in the classroom.

Faster? More? Deeper?

It is a great thing to see gifted programs being established where hopefully students can give some expression to their gift for academic achievement. Just because a student is a gifted learner doesn’t necessarily mean they have more time or have more patience for more work. To some students it appears like punishment. Gifted students need to be able to explore more deeply, see more applications to what they are learning and be able to receive answers to the more difficult questions they come up with during the learning process.

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Activities to Supplement Your Child’s Education

May 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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As a parent, your children often overwhelm your life. This can be compounded by the stress of having a special needs child or the need to encourage a child who is older or gifted. Learning some effective tools to manage your stress can help, as can encouraging a child to live up to their potential. Using rewards, praise, and positive influence can help any parent deal with their children while maintaining their own sanity.

Special needs children, as well as gifted or older children, have their set of needs and respond differently. Utilizing special activities and awards can be helpful. The key is determining the most effective method of encouraging your particular child. Consider, for example, a special needs girl who is struggling with learning to read. Using a book, such as ‘Angelina Ballerina’ in combination with a special gift, such as ballerina doll shoes, can provide the child with a reward while encouraging them to read.

This same concept can be used for any child; the secret is determining what motivates your particular child and finding a suitable activity. Gifted children may respond a museum or library trip. Special needs children may be better suited to educational games. Take the time to find out what your child considers an award.

Remember that job number one of every mommy is learning the fine art of encouraging a child. Learning how to do this will not only help prepare your child for a more successful life, it will help you better manage potentially stressful children. Being a mommy doesn’t have to mean being frustrated.

 

 

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Problems of Children who Ride the School Bus

March 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When children come home frequently complaining about problems on the school bus, parents need to call the school, to find out if school officials are aware of any problems. It is the school’s responsibility to instruct the school bus driver on how to handle problems on their bus. A parent’s call may be the first they hear of any problem. If the problems persist, parents should make follow-up calls until the problems go away.

There are school bus issues that parents may not think are the school’s responsibility. These problems have to do with the safety of children at their designated school bus stops. Unfortunately, parents of children old enough to walk to the bus stop themselves might not find out about these problems until tragedy strikes. Parents should observe what goes on at the school bus stop. With or without their child’s knowledge, parents must make sure drivers observe the rules for school buses.

When children are boarding or departing school buses, the driver puts out the stop sign on the side of the bus, and flashes the red lights. Anyone who drives knows that there are people who disregard stop signs and red lights. Any parent that does not drive, observes drivers ignoring traffic regulations regarding pedestrians. These drivers do the same thing when it involves small children at school bus stops.

Any parent, who sees a driver ignoring the red lights and stop sign on a school bus, needs to contact the school and the local authorities, and never let up until someone takes action. A child’s safety is of the utmost importance, and parents, the school, and authorities need to ensure their safety at all times, including at school bus stops.

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Children with Special Needs

February 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Those who label children with special needs may be doing more harm than good, to the children and the families of those children.

Special needs children have the same needs as other children. They may have additional needs that parents must fill, but calling them special is something that may cause a lifetime of heartache for the children and the parents.

As a society that is supposed to accept people from all lifestyles, it would seem that there is much work to do still, when it comes to advising parents of children that society calls special. All children have a naivety about themselves, their family members, and about the world around them. Children learn about differences in people from adults. They do not have a preconception of how supposedly normal children act. Nor do they know how those normal children behave, or what they are supposed to look like. It is adults who do all of this.

Parents of children with additional needs must impose on school officials and parents of other normal children, how they expect others to treat their child at all times, which except for an additional need here and there, is the same as other children.

Parents of children with special needs are the advocates for their children; just as any other parent is for their child. However parents of children others consider special, need to be especially vigilant so that their child does not begin to believe that he is special or different from any other child his or her age.

Just as school administrators label so-called normal children according to their academic skills in a school setting, children with special needs do not need singling out, and their parents do not want that either.

All children with special needs really need, is the support and help that all other children want and need, with a little extra, nothing more and nothing less.

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Promoting a Child’s Creativity without Being Overbearing

February 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It is perfectly natural for a parent to want their child to engage in extracurricular activities they enjoyed when they were children themselves. Parents can certainly offer suggestions or present choices to a child regarding outside activities. This is an excellent way for a child to highlight his or her talents or creative ability.

The downside is that a parent may tend to push a child to remain in a club or on a sports team they do not enjoy. Once the child begins to balk regularly, it is time for the parent to listen. Not every child will want to participate in certain activities, regardless of whether or not he or she possesses the necessary skills to excel.

A child may love to paint, draw, or write, regardless of their level of talent in creative arts. On the other hand, a parent may know that their child has artistic or athletic ability and wish their child would pursue that instead of playing sports. The child may not care for the discipline and time involved in playing a musical instrument, or completing an art project now, but they may decide to do so on their own later.

As long as the child is happy, a parent does not need to worry that their child may miss the opportunity to become the next Beethoven, Rembrandt, or Mickey Mantle. Children have a tendency to find their own way, when it comes to figuring out their passions.

One last thing to remember is that even if a child gave up being a scout, a ballet dancer, or a team player, it just means that they have not yet found an activity they enjoy. With so many opportunities for a child, parents can reassure themselves that whether it is music, art, sports or something else, your child will find his or her niche at some point.

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Encouraging Children from Infancy to Adulthood

February 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Every parent hopes that when their children grow up, they will look back on their childhood years fondly. When you talk to people who say they had a wonderful childhood, they usually tell you that their parents were supportive in everything they did as children, and encouraged them every step of the way.

Encouraging a baby to utter his or her first words, or into taking that first step, comes easy for parents. Encouraging a toddler or preschooler to share toys and to play nice with others, takes a little more effort on the part of the parent, but eventually children get the idea that by doing these things, the child will make, and keep friends.

When children start school, parents encourage them to do their best while helping them adjust to spending the day away from their parents. Parents render this same kind of support and encouragement when children enter high school.

Even when parents consistently lend their support and guide their children through every nuance of their childhood years, there are those times when children need more than encouragement. When children feel discouraged, parents must allow their children to express their thoughts and feelings.

Parents cannot bear to see their children suffer, but instead of consoling children by telling them that they are mistaken in their thoughts and feelings, they need to encourage their children to talk about their problems and then discuss ways to solve those problems.

Understanding that it is perfectly fine to express sadness or anger helps children learn that there are steps they can take to improve those things that upset them. They learn they have the ability within themselves to change things for the better.

Encouraging children to express negative feelings and helping them deal with them, makes them feel better about themselves and teaches them to use a common sense approach to life’s struggles.

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Raising a Morally and Ethically Sound Child

February 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There is a group of adults with no morals or ethics, because they have no conscience. Nothing a parent did or did not do, caused this behavior, because it is a mental disorder. On the other end of the spectrum are those people who possess too much of a conscience and hold themselves, and others, up to the highest standard of ethics and morals. At times, it is impossible for anyone to stand by these values, even when riddled with guilt.

The majority of society falls into a third category, and that is the morally, ethically sound category. Although people differ in what they believe is moral, ethical, or even legal, they all have in common the satisfaction of living by these standards brings a healthy balance between conscience and guilt.

Raising children up within their standards requires more effort in today’s society, than it did in previous generations. Society’s moral and ethical standards change over time and parents need to make their children understand why behaving a certain way is unacceptable in their eyes, even though outsiders may think there is nothing wrong with it.

Every family has a set of rules, based on the values of the adults in the house. These can deal with responsibilities, acceptable material in television and radio programs, being charitable, and so on. The best way to drive home the ideas of how you expect your child to behave at home, and in situations outside the home, is to be sure your child understands the rules and standards you set.

Your children will spend a significant amount of time with others in authority, in school, at church, and with law enforcement. Although these people can help to reinforce the values a child learns in the home, parents must set the best example by always following house rules.

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Nurturing a Child’s Learning Abilities

January 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In the early 1960′s, when a child caused problems for teachers in the classroom, school officials often placed the child in a class separate from the regular classroom. In certain schools, they called this the Special Class.

The level of disruption caused by the child did not matter to school administrators. To them, the child was troublesome and they had to separate that child so as not to interfere with other students.

It was not until November of 1975 that Congress approved the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which went into effect in October of 1977. This act gave schools the funds to obtain resources for children in need of special instruction.

This brought to the forefront the needs of children who, while not exhibiting any physical or emotional disabilities, still required special instruction in class. The IQ of these children can range from average to superior, to genius. The problem is not the inability to learn, it is the inability to learn in the same manner as everyone else.

Parents of children with superior intelligence have some idea about the problems gifted children have with learning disabilities. Sadly, parents of children with average intelligence may never find out that the only reason their children are not thriving in school, is that they learn on a different level than most. The reason may be as simple as an extremely smart child’s inability to be a good test-taker. Parents may also discover that their child is bored in class.

Schools with gifted programs have the resources to match a gifted student with a school psychologist or counselor. The counselor will test the gifted student to determine the best course of study that will best suit the advanced student. They call these Individual Education Plans.

All children should have access to these resources. Anytime a child struggles in school, parents should request a meeting with the teacher, the counselor, and other school administrators, to determine the cause of the child’s difficulty. A number of key issues may be uncovered that will ease the difficulties children may encounter in school.

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