Part 5 in my continuing series of sneak peeks inside parenting expert, Dr. Michele Borba new book, BIG BOOK of Parenting Solutions. How many parents believe their child is gifted?  Do you know how to determine if your child is gifted or not?  This is very important in raising kids today and helping them to succeed academically.

THE PROBLEM 

Red Flags

Perfectionist tendencies or fear of failure; boredom when not challenged; burnout from activity overload; stress from too much acceleration; peer rejection from acting "too different"; hindered social, emotional, or moral development because of overemphasis on the intellectual; sense of entitlement from being labeled "gifted"

The Change to Parent For

Your child recognizes and accept her unique gifts or talents and receives the right balance of support and challenge to reach her intellectual potential.

Why Change? (see pages 508 - 514)  You won't be disappointed as Michele Borba goes into great detail of why you need to change and offers six strategies for change.

Traits of the Gifted Kids That Might Lead to Potential Problems

Although the needs of gifted kids are for the most part the same as those of other children, there are a few traits that could lead to future problems.  No one issue is usually a cause for alarm, so instead look for a pattern.  Here are a few warning signs to watch for:

• Poor peer relations. Organizing people and things and emphasizing rules cause peer resentment and low self-esteem.
• Uneven development.  Motor skills (especially fine motor) lag behind cognitive abilities, causing frustration and emotional outbursts.
• Excessive self-criticism.  Insightfulness can lead gifted kids to set idealistic images of what they might or should be and then criticize themselves when they fall short.
• Perfectionism. Setting unrealistic high expectations for themselves significantly hinders their academic potential, boosts anxiety, and causes a fear of failure.
• Extreme sensitivity.  Emotional intensity makes gifted kids hypersensitive to criticism and vulnerable to peer teasing and bullying.
• Anxiety. Overscheduling or a too accelerated curriculum can lead to extreme irritability, stress, sleeplessness, or depression.

Next sneak peek: Money! Are you talking to your kids about money?  If not, you'd better! (page 553)

For those that don't have time to read, this is the perfect book for you since it is not the type of book you sit down to read. As parenting questions come up, you can go straight to the index and find the page number. Immediately you will see the pages divided by boxes, quick tips and advice and easy to read and understand resources. Did I mention she also gives you proven research and statistics?

Previous sneak peeks: (1) Gratitude Recipes: Big Book of Parenting Solutions, (2) Parenting 101: Ungrateful teens and children (3) Seven Deadly Parenting Styles, (4) Sex Talk with your Children, (5) Gifted children, (6) Money and your kids, (7) Oppositional Defiant Disorder, (8) Sibling Rivalry, (9) Overweight teens and kids, (10) Lying

Order The BIG BOOK of Parenting Solutions today!  Whether it is for yourself or as a gift, you won't be disappointed.
 

INSIDE THE BIG BOOK OF PARENTING SOLUTIONS SLIDESHOW. 

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