Parenting Gifted Kids

by Delisle, James R.

• ISBN13: 9781593631796
• ISBN10: 1593631790
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Prufrock Pr

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
Understand What Giftedness Is ... and What It Is Not	1	(16)
Speaking of First Impressions...	3	(5)
Reality Sets In	8	(2)
Avoid at All Costs	10	(1)
Just a Word on Leveling	10	(2)
Talking the Talk	12	(3)
Gifted Children Speak Out	15	(2)
Know the Distinction Between ``Better At'' and ``Better Than''	17	(14)
On Suffering Fools Gladly	18	(5)
Oh! The Silly Things We Do!	23	(4)
Loneliness and Being Alone: A Fine-Line Distinction	27	(2)
Gifted Children Speak Out	29	(2)
Stop Paying Interest on a Bill You Never Owed	31	(16)
The Wonderful Wizard of OEs	34	(1)
The OEs in More Depth	35	(9)
The Journey Begins...	44	(2)
Gifted Children Speak Out	46	(1)
Take Charge of Your Child's Education	47	(22)
The ``Error'' of Inclusion	49	(6)
The Underground Guide to Getting Your Way	55	(11)
Conclusion	66	(1)
Gifted Children Speak Out	67	(2)
Appreciate That Less Than Perfect Is More Than Acceptable	69	(22)
Always Read the P.S.	70	(17)
Conclusion	87	(1)
Gifted Children Speak Out	88	(3)
Living the Nuanced Life	91	(20)
Nuance #1: The Myth of Underachievement	93	(6)
Nuance #2: The Straw Dog of Gender Bias	99	(4)
Nuance #3: Fulfillment Through Philosophy	103	(5)
Conclusion	108	(2)
Gifted Children Speak Out	110	(1)
Deep Roots, Long Branches: Using the Past to Understand the Present	111	(22)
The Research Says...	113	(5)
A Note About Depression	118	(5)
On Crossing Bridges Prematurely	123	(2)
The Gifted Adult as a Role Model	125	(4)
Conclusion	129	(1)
Gifted Children Speak Out	130	(3)
Write Your Dreams in Pencil	133	(26)
Goal Setting That Matters	140	(6)
Get a Job!	146	(4)
And if They Don't Want to Go to College?	150	(5)
Stepping Back ... Stepping Out	155	(2)
Gifted Children Speak Out	157	(2)
Make a Life, Not Just a Living	159	(14)
The Importance of Importance	161	(1)
Teaching Gifted Kids to Care: Character Development in Action	162	(7)
``Being'' Versus ``Doing''	169	(2)
Gifted Grown Ups Speak Out	171	(2)
Life Is Not a Race to See Who Can Get to the End the Fastest	173	(14)
In Praise of Elitism	174	(3)
On the Other Hand...	177	(4)
Closing Time	181	(4)
Gifted Children Give Thanks	185	(2)
References	187	(4)
Resources for Parents of Gifted Kids	191	(22)
About the Author	213