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Trisha Drew
Gifted and Talented Specialist
Timberline Elementary
ALL CHILDREN ARE GIFTED IN SOME WAY I read an article from T. Berry Brazelton in a
book titled Understanding Sibling Rivalry and would like to share some of the information that I thought could help parents of Timberline students. How does it feel to be sibling in a family when there is an “exceptional” child artist, a musician, an athlete, or a straight “A” student? The “exceptional” child stands out. Everyone else admires her. Everyone treats the child as a miracle. She is not treated as the other children. The child herself may have a feeling of unreality: “Am I normal? What do they really feel about me?” Such a child may feel she has to strive to live up to these fantasies of specialness. If they make a mistake they feel so ashamed. It is not easy to live up to this limelight. Under this pressure to be “special” they may become a perfectionist, putting themselves under even more pressure. Peers may
become jealous and quickly this can become a lonely place. This is when parents must become aware of each child’s strengths and treat all their children with the same discipline and importance. Below is a list of ways to encourage parents to develop the gifts of all children:
1. Look for and treasure the differences of the other siblings.
2. Help the siblings to recognize and develop their own strengths, it is one the most important things a parent can do.
3. Encourage them to talk about qualities in themselves, such as being a good friend, endurance, persistence, etc.
4. Provide the other siblings with the support and resources they need to develop their own abilities.
5. Let the other siblings talk about how they feel about the gifted child. If they state they feel tired about hearing how great the gifted child is because it makes they feel less worthy, then it is important to draw out these negative feelings instead of ignoring them. Reassure them of all the good qualities they have too.
Family times are important for the gifted child. She needs those times to be “just like the others”—as much as she can be. Siblings need to experience the equal treatment that those family times demand.
I hope through this Holiday Season that the Timberline families find time to laugh, learn, and enjoy the season and each other. | |
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