While not all gifted kids exhibit what Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski called overexcitabilities, they are more prevalent among the gifted population than any other. Gifted children and adults may possess one or more of these, and see reality differently. They tend to experience the world in a stronger and more multifaceted way than others. One of the most difficult challenges to overcome, though, is the belief that these intensities need to be cured. Experiencing the world this way can be very frustrating for a kid, but it can also be very rewarding. Learn how to help harness it and lead to peace, success, innovation, and wonderful creativity in your home.
Many gifted children have other special needs, making learning a challenge and bringing about extreme frustration when they can’t meet their own and others’ expectations. That, combined with the frustration of adults who don’t understand why a bright child does not achieve, can lead to conflict, misunderstandings, and failure. Together, let’s explore the different needs of twice-exceptional children, and figure out how to help them be the fantastic learners they’re meant to be.
Worry can consume, and anxiety doesn’t always look like what we think it should, nor does it rear its head during times we can easily diffuse it. Drawing on her decades of working with parents of differently-wired kids, and her own experiences parenting children with anxiety and perfectionism, Colleen dives deeply into the effects anxiety and perfectionism have on your children. She’ll examine the educational, social, and emotional impacts this type of worry can cause, and help you build a toolbox filled with strategies for helping your child conquer fear when it comes. If your kiddo struggles with anxiety, you won’t want to miss this chance to walk away with strategies you can implement as soon as you get home.
Wondering “how” your kiddo is gifted? Colleen breaks down three main “types” of giftedness, their traits, challenges, and strategies for parenting and homeschooling those kiddos successfully. She includes discussions about academically gifted, cognitively gifted, and creatively gifted children.
