Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children / Edition 1

by James Delisle

Overview

A gifted education Legacy Award winner, 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. The 10 tips suggested and expanded upon in this book include:

• understanding what giftedness is . . . and what it is not;
• understanding the differences between gifted kids and their agemates;
• understanding the personality traits of gifted kids, including overexcitabilities;
• taking charge of your child's education;
• understanding the issue of perfectionism in gifted kids;
• examining social nuances and myths related to giftedness;
• examining the similarities parents share with their gifted children;
• setting reasonable goals;
• helping gifted children make a difference in the lives of others; and
• remembering that gifted children are kids first and gifted second.

Educational Resource

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593631796
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/07/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

James R. Delisle has worked in gifted child education for 40 years as a teacher, professor, counselor, and dad. He is the author of 21 books, including the best-selling Parenting Gifted Kids and The Gifted Teen Survival Guide (with Judy Galbraith). His work has been translated into multiple languages and has been featured in both top research outlets and popular media sources like The New York Times and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1 Understand What Giftedness Is . . . and What It Is Not Speaking of First Impressions . . . Reality Sets In Avoid at All Costs Just a Word on Leveling Talking the Talk Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 2 Know the Distinction Between “Better At” and “Better Than” On Suffering Fools Gladly Oh! The Silly Things We Do! Loneliness and Being Alone: A Fine-Line Distinction Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 3 Stop Paying Interest on a Bill You Never Owed The Wonderful Wizard of OEs The OEs in More Depth The Journey Begins . . . Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 4 Take Charge of Your Child’s Education The “Error” of Inclusion The Underground Guide to Getting Your Way Conclusion Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 5 Appreciate That Less Than Perfect Is More Than Acceptable Always Read the P.S. Conclusion Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 6 Living the Nuanced Life Nuance #1: The Myth of Underachievement Nuance #2: The Straw Dog of Gender Bias Nuance #3: Fulfillment Through Philosophy Conclusion Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 7 Deep Roots, Long Branches: Using the Past to Understand the Present The Research Says . . . A Note About Depression On Crossing Bridges Prematurely The Gifted Adult as a Role Model Conclusion Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 8 Write Your Dreams in Pencil Goal Setting That Matters Get a Job! And if They Don’t Want to Go to College? Stepping Back . . . Stepping Out Gifted Children Speak Out Chapter 9 Make a Life, Not Just a Living The Importance of Importance Teaching Gifted Kids to Care: Character Development in Action “Being” Versus “Doing” Gifted Grown Ups Speak Out Chapter 10 Life Is Not a Race to See Who Can Get to the End the Fastest In Praise of Elitism On the Other Hand . . . Closing Time Gifted Children Give Thanks References Resources for Parents of Gifted Kids About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children by James R. Delisle (Professor of Gifted Education at Kent State University) is an informative and “parent friendly” reference for enabling a truly gifted child to expressively and productively achieve their life goals, develop sound character, and generally enjoy their life. Examining overly excitable children, the type of gift granted to each child, working with the school system, dealing with perfectionist children, being a positive role model, building a child's character, and helping kids achieve their set goals and dreams, Parenting Gifted Kids is very highly recommended reading, especially to all new parents of a gifted child.,James A Cox,Midwest Book Review, 5/17/06
While parenting in general is chock-full of pitfalls and second guessing, parenting gifted kids can be even more exhausting and mystifying, as they are indeed exceptional, and public sympathy for these parents' plight is even less encouraging. In this book, however, Dr. Delisle gives parents tools and strategies for understanding their children's overexcitabilities, building meaning in their lives and working with the school systems that fail them.,Davidson Center for Talent Development, 6/18/06

From the Publisher