by Edna Thackeray

Created on: July 30, 2008

Gifted children learn quickly and know how to put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly.
They are conceptual thinkers and often show great interest in music and the arts. One could say they move easily from one subject to the other although they show advanced ability and particular interest in a favored one of choice. Gifted children will move beyond ordinary knowledge and usage of ideas and methods to a creative expression of their own design. They will not always follow the rules, but seek to change them. For them, there is more than one answer to a problem and more than one way to accomplish a goal.

Watch toddlers at play. They will find endless usages for the most ordinary of things. They are
determined to master their environment as well. Nothing compares to the obstinancy of a two or three year old when a battle of wills ensues between parent and child. The natural curiosity and wonder of this child is not satisfied for long and his parents constantly seek learning experiences that will not engender boredom. Boredom for a gifted child is like the absence of
air to breathe.They make friends easily with adults as well as other children.

Parents of a gifted child must work hard to keep their child's interests at heart.They know
their child will not be sit back long with mundane routines. Many parents and teachers intuitively know a gifted child has more to offer. It is absolutely necessary for a gifted child to be understood and enlightened, not dictated to or controlled. Nonetheless, a gifted cild needs to understand rules of common courtesy and behavior. His social skills shuold not be neglected as he will need them as much as any person later in life. Educators point out that
gifted children outpace their peers quickly. Gifted children need to learn how to work well within a group or a team as much as anyone. but they will not necessarily agree with the "groupthink".

A free spirit needs a ground in the real world; a connection to the people around him. Men and women of great genius and ability can suffer loneliness,emotional instability and misunderstanding. They need s strong family ties and lasting friendships. Gifted children will always require more from the people who love them, but they will always return more than
one could ever imagine. As adults they will be appreciated for a genius mindset that can quickly modify and adapt to changes and easily arrive at decisions and solutions interchangeably. They will make us scratch our heads and say,"Why didn't I think of that?'

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