Holidays
The Holidays and Your Gifted Child
As the holiday season comes upon us once again this year, you may find yourself in one of two camps as the parent of a gifted child: Either, A) “What can I find for my gifted child to do over the holidays that will continue to stimulate and interest him or her?” or B) “The holidays are stressful enough; how do I navigate them with a child that is already in over-drive?!” This is a good time to remember what “asynchronous behavior” is. An example of this is when your 6 year old can memorize all of the presidents and vice presidentsAND discuss the pros and cons of their presidencies one minute, turn around and engage in the silliest exchange of idiotic behavior with his younger sibling the next, all while getting frustrated that he still canʼt tie his shoes! In other words, their chronological, mental and physical ages do not match one another. Dealing with this on a day-to-day basis is one thing; throw in holiday expectations and it could be a recipe for disaster. And this doesnʼt just apply to the under 10 crowd; children donʼt tend to “grow out” of their asynchronous tendencies. Most gifted individuals learn to cope with this pseudo-split of personality as they get older. But children and teens typically just donʼt have the coping mechanisms nor life experiences in place to aid them in sorting these issues out. So, as you prepare to embark into the realm of holiday parties, shopping,concerts, decorating, and family gathering, keep in mind that your gifted children are still children. While they may have a depth of sensitivity and understanding regarding why we celebrate at this time of year, they may still get tired, cranky, bored, hungry, etc. while youʼre attending yet one more event or helping them finish that big project due before break. There are ways to allow your child to stay involved and engaged in activities that meet his or her intellectual needs while balancing the stress level that often accompanies this time of year. To help you sail more smoothly through the season, and experience the joy at the same time, take a look at these articles with tips about dealing with stress as well as ideas for some simple, fun ways to celebrate as a family. HappyHolidays! www.sengifted.org/articles_directorscorner/patel_november11.pdfhttp:// childparenting.about.com/od/healthsafety/a/holidaystresskids.htmhttp:// giftedkids.about.com/od/familylife/qt/holiday_fun.htmhttp://giftedkids.about.com/od/ holidaysspecialdays/a/Family-Holiday-Activities.htm Bonnie DeLongChair, IAG Parent Network bonnie_delong@taylor.edu