High Cognitive Minds

I don't usually write about emotional issues of the gifted, but I rediscovered this article recently and appreciated that its somewhat different slant would be helpful, particularly for parents of gifted children.  Fostering Adult Giftedness

"Frequently parents and teachers express concerns about fostering growth in gifted children while dealing with the often painful process of coming to terms with their own giftedness and potential.

"It is difficult -- a sort of developmental double-whammy -- to go through your own developmental phases while at the same time teaching, guiding, and/or parenting gifted children."

Author Sharon Lind discusses five methods for recognizing and developing adult giftedness. The first is acknowledging your gifts, and one of the ways to do this is to compare them with those of people you believe to be gifted.
She also stresses the importance of nurturing the development of your personal identity rather than denying or hiding it.

She suggests that you identify your specific overexcitabilities, as Dabrowski defined them, then work to take advantage of their strengths, and cope with whatever problems they tend to cause. Finally, she discusses coping skills, including recognizing and dealing with stress, and learning effective communication skills.