As many as 2% of children could potentially fall into the category of¿ gifted¿ so quite a few families can find themselves in the situation of having such a child to rear. This can raise a number of questions and issues to deal with ¿ andthey are not always positive.
Everyone likes to think their children are specially talented, above average intelligence, gifted in some respect. Often they might be right - but are they wishing something on themselves and the child that it is better not to have?
The history of child prodigies is mainly a story of difficulties, pressures, unfulfilled potential and often mental health and social problems that manifest themselves later in life. How the child develops might depend on the atmosphere and environment they are brought up in, the type of nurturing and encouragement they get and how their parents and institutions handle the stresses and challenges of dealing with what can often be a difficult young person.
Some child geniuses do grow up to be successful adults in useful occupations ¿ though often they still fail in being rounded individuals. Others struggle with the expectations of being a prodigy or the social, emotional or personal pressures it brings and might drop out or end up working in McDonalds or in an office job (like Albert Einstein initially).
Many children identified as prodigies turn out to be very one-dimensional in their genius, perhaps having a flair for numbers or memorising lists, playing a musical instrument or learning languages, but lacking in other skills that make their talents useful or usable. There is a feeling that the standard education system fails these type of children. (There is probably a general feeling that education is letting most children down in our society today.)
This compilation looks at gifted children; what makes them gifted, how they can be nurtured and what eventually happens to them. It also recounts some specific histories of young genius and the problems and outcomes for some of the individuals endowed with these qualities.
We won¿t all have gifted children ¿ and maybe that is not such a bad thing. Equally, if we, as parents, applied some of the nurture principles that are recommended for prodigies, perhaps the average child would benefit also and become a more successful, complete individual due to going through the process. The parents are, undoubtedly, important factors in the ultimate outcome. Perhaps some of the information here can help you determine what type