Curbing Social Issues with Gifted Children
The school environment is inviting for some gifted children, but it is a place of horror for others. Gifted children often process information on a much more mature level than their peers. This fact does not go unrecognised by peers who might become jealous in the process. Bullying behaviour is an unfortunate result, and some gifted children become highly anti-social in the process. The key is for parents and teachers to work together to curb the awkward social issues that gifted children face in school. This is achieved in a variety of ways. Here are some factors to consider when dealing with a gifted child.
Make sure to watch for bullying in school, or out of it. Other children pick up on subtle differences in intellect. Gifted children receive the unfortunate nicknames, such as nerd or geek. This has led to a large scale anti-bullying initiative in the UK, as well as the U.S. So far, it has worked, and awareness has been raised. Programs have been implemented to stop bullying in its tracks. However, parents must do their part to recognise the signs of bullying. Talk to your gifted child as soon as they get home from school to determine if any issues did happen.
One of the reasons why gifted kids face social obstacles, is that they are forced to interact with other kids who do not share common interests. For example, someone who loves to read and play music should spend his or her free time with other people who like to do the same. This does not mean that they should not be allowed to play with other kids, or to join a sports team. It simply means that the gifted child should be given every opportunity possible to experience success with a positive peer group present. Sharing interests allows gifted children to learn and grow together.
Interestingly, some of the most gifted children are diagnosed with mental illnesses or disabilities. A couple of the most common are ADD or ADHD, and Autism. Autism causes a child to have a limited capacity for understanding how to interact with peers in social situations. They might appear awkward or disrespectful in certain instances. However, many kid with autism are able to perform above normal on seemingly difficult tasks. Many of them are brilliant mathematicians, and many more are great musicians.
Interactions with a variety of activities is vital to a gifted child’s ultimate success. When they are able to experience the various facets of life, they can make their own decisions when it comes to being successful in certain areas. All gifted children need to be allowed to participate in a variety of activities. Sports, the arts, and outdoor activities are equally important. Gifted children have a chance to bring something special to the table each time they interact with others. You might be surprised at what your child will show you once you allow him to participate in activities which are of a high interest level.