Jake Williams has insightful advice for parents of gifted children. This is the conclusion of our three-part interview. To read the first article, click here. To read the second article, click here.
LISA: What advice do you have for parents raising gifted children in 2010?
JAKE: Based on my life experiences and independent research, there are several things I would like to share with parents. First of all, your child is not normal. Find a way to communicate that they can accomplish things that other children are not capable. I have always felt it would have been nice to know I was not normal.
Second, I read an article in Esquire, "What Makes a Nation Rich? One Economist's Big Answer," Daron Acemoglu talks about the importance of incentives. Basically, Mr. Acemoglu illustrates that in countries where governments reward hard work via property rights, greater wealth inevitably follows. Thus, incentives promote harder work and increase productivity towards an individual's potential. I urge parents raising gifted children to find creative ways to incentivize their kids into reaching their potential. The best part is that incentives are relative to the child, so you need only ask what your kids really want from you, and then reward them if they meet a goal you set.
Third, don't take the summer off. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell asserts that higher class children have an advantage over their lower class counterparts because they continue learning after school ends. They have dancing lessons, singing lessons, sports practices; and they are more likely to visit museums, aquariums, and historical sites. Basically, learning does not take a summer break. Parents of gifted children, wealthy or not, should take this information to add as much learning on nights, weekends, and summers as possible. Don't let your child's brain rest for three months.
Fourth, parents of gifted children need to structure everyday explanations in more complex ways than other parents. Your child will speak as you speak, so it follows that they may think as you speak. By communicating more complex thoughts, your child will become accustomed to complexity. Your child may be emotionally equal to other kids, but intellectually they don't need simple sugars.
And finally, another idea from Gladwell's Outliers illustrates there may be a threshold for genius, meaning once your child is of a certain intelligence, more intelligence may not help much. Other aspects of their personality, such as charisma and social competence and emotional stability become much more important to their success than an extra 5 points on an IQ test. Figure out where your child struggles in these areas and work on improving their score.
LISA: Well said. Thank you, Jake, for your time and sound advice.
Can't get enough of Jake? Visit him at www.cjakewilliams.com.
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Here are a few of her recent articles:
Perfectionism and the gifted child
Grandparents can be instrumental in raising gifted children
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