Check List: Are You a Gifted Parent?
- Do you answer your child’s questions with patience and good humor?
- Do you take advantage of his questions and expressions of interest to guide him into further learning and exploration?
- Do you help your child develop physical and social skills as carefully as you encourage mental growth?
- Do you help him learn how to get along with children of all levels of intelligence?
- Do you avoid criticizing him by comparing him with his brothers and sisters or companions?
- Do you set reasonable standards of behavior for your child and them see that he meets them?
- Do you impose firm and fair discipline that is consistent and neither too harsh nor too permissive?
- Do you show your child that he is loved for his own sake and not for his intellectual achievements?
- Do you try to find something specific to praise when he shows you his work? (A generalized compliment means little to gifted children.)
- Do you help him to select worth-while reading materials and television programs?
- Do you provide your child with hobby materials and books of his own?
- Do you provide places where your child can study, work at his hobbies, and display his work?
- Do you participate in some of your child’s activities?
- Do you let him learn about and share in some of your hobbies and interests/
- Do you let him learn about and share in some of your hobbies and interests?
- Do you enable your child to take advantage of lessons and activities offered by private groups or community organizations?
- Do you teach your child how to budget his time, organize his work, and improve his study habits?
- Do you help your child to make his own plans and decisions?
- Do you give your child increasing independence as his ability to handle responsibility increases?
- Do you give him household responsibilities and other tasks suitable for his age?
- Do you avoid overstressing intellectual achievement?
- Do you avoid “pushing” your child too hard by not being too demanding about after school lessons or activities?
- Do you resist the impulse to show your child off before relatives and friends?
- Do you resist any temptation to exploit his gifts commercially?
- Do you teach him ton use his gifts for the benefit of society rather than only for his own selfish purpose?
- Do you encourage him to set high educational and vocational goals?
- Do you refrain from trying to pick his vocation for him but try to help him learn about as many occupations as possible?
- Do your expressions of attitude and your behavior set the example you want your child to follow?
- Do you avoid talking down to him and speak to him as you do to adults?
- Do you try to speak as correctly as you want him to do?
This check list is not all inclusive and there is no passing score. It is intended as a set of reminders as to what are the most important principles for promoting a child’s giftedness. The parent who can answer “yes” to a large proportion of these questions can feel he is effectively promoting his child’s gifts.
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