| What are some of the emotional issues that arise for a gifted child? |
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The Parenting section of this website (under Support) has a of Social Emotional Concerns that gifted children may face. They include a distaste for school; a need for games that are more complex than their peers would want to play; and a tendency to ponder the "imponderables," such as death, religion and philosophical issues.
As well, gifted children are prone to perfectionism and they sometimes feel inadequate because of it. This can include setting unrealistic goals for themselves. Super sensitivity is another emotional issue for some gifted children; they can have "sensory overload" and/or be critical of themselves and others. In addition, some gifted children are intolerant of people who are not their intellectual equals and can be impatient with them. An American group, Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted, is devoted to the topic, as the name suggests. Learning more about "over-excitabilities" and gifted children has been especially helpful for many families.Also, you may find that this excerpt from The Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids by Tracy L. Cross PhD offers more insights. This article on Kidsource discusses the social-emotional needs of gifted children, too. |
