Talking about the Gifted Child (& a useful Bibliography)

I don't ever blog about having a 'gifted' child. Partly this is to protect her privacy, but mainly because it's just not something I talk about much at all, even with close friends (and never with parents). I've always felt that talking about the issues associated with a child who is "academically gifted and artistically talented", as I think of it now, implies that you think your child is better than other children - cleverer, more special, excelling in school and so on. So I've kept quiet, until recently.

Although we've known for some time that one of our girls was 'advanced' in terms of learning and other abilities, when school informed us she was on their 'Gifted and Talented' list, we didn't really know what that meant. To be honest, most schools don't really know what to do with that type of information, either. Things have only developed because for our child, being Gifted and Talented brings with it a whole other host of Additional Needs including but not limited to: Sensory Processing Disorder; Anxiety; Anger Management Issues; low Self-Esteem; inherent Perfectionism.........ad infinitum.

Which means for her parents and siblings, giftedness isn't automatically a good thing; neither is it for the child. We've found, however, that learning to understand the nature of giftedness goes a long way to helping our family help each other to deal with it. Although it remains a huge learning curve and there's never an easy day.

I probably still won't talk about this in much detail, other than to our Family Support Worker at school and a couple of friends who actually know what we go through. However, I've found some useful literature which enlightened us as parents which I thought I should share. There are also publications aimed at children which have helped us, although (typically) our gifted child found them patronising. There are also other parenting books which have helped me to deal with behavioural issues in general which I list. I hope others may find them of use, as we did.

A Gifted Bibliography


'General' Gifted Books


Colangelo, Nicholas (2007)  A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children

Distin, Kate  (Ed) (2006) Gifted Children: A Guide for Parents & Professionals (most useful one for me - UK author.)

Fonseca, Christine (2010) Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings

Fonseca, Christine (2011) 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids: The Ultimate Handbook (this is aimed at gifted kids - ours found it 'too patronising' but I found it so useful!)

Webb, James T et al (Eds) (1989) Guiding the Gifted Child: A Practical Source for Parents and Teachers



Gifted/Other Additional Needs Books


Kennedy, Diane M (2011) Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD and Autism

Lovecky, Deidre V (2003) Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome and Other Learning Deficits (although I don't like the word deficits, it's worth exploring books like this if there are other additional needs involved)


Parenting Books We Found Helpful

Faber, Adele (2013 edition) How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk

Kimmel, Tim (2005) Grace Based Parenting (A great Christian parenting book.)

Kohn, Alfie (2006)  Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason

The Saints Go Marching in...to 2015

Well it seems like I've been on an extended blog hiatus.

This wasn't intentional.

I'm never sure whether the blog is theological, kid-based, music-devoted, foodie or a mix of everything. It's probably a mix of everything. But I don't have time to DO everything, let alone blog about it. So who knows what 2015 holds....but I'm not closing the blog!

So this is a brief post to announce 'my' saint for 2015, courtesy of the Jen Fulwiler Saint Generator.

Being an Anglo-Catholic Anglican, you see, I'm pretty big on saints compared to the rest of my congregation and colleagues. Sometimes I reference a saint and people look at me like I'm an alien. (Like I said, I'm Anglo-Catholic.)  If 4thSister had been a boy, she'd have been named after one of my favourite saints, Maximilian Kolbe, for example. (As it is, she's Josephine - also a saint.) Theological reading and practice including but not limited to  Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, Benedict, Augustine, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux inform and educate my holy living. We (shock, horror in the Anglican church!) go trick or treating, but we also celebrate All Saints Day properly.

Oops, sorry, I said brief, didn't I?

Anyway, with an imaginary drum roll I announce that my saint for 2015 is going to be:

St Juan De Diego!

(image taken from Wikipedia)

St Juan, eh? I don't know much about him, but I'll stick with him & hope he helps me to glorify God more in 2015. (My husband's a John. He has the same kind of role.) I hope to research and revisit in a few weeks - for now, he seems like a non-traditional type of saint (if there is a traditional type!) which is fine by me. The Saint Generator does allow you to change the saint if you don't think it's a correct fit. (On All Saints Day 2ndSister kept changing and changing her saint because no girly names were coming up.)

Finally - in case this Saint thing sounds completely off the wall, just try praying to Saint Anthony of Padua next time you lose something. I dropped my phone on a local road. Most things on it are transferable and it's protected, but I was panicking. My husband went out looking for it to no avail. I prayed to St Anthony. My husband tried ringing it, and a police officer answered. Turns out someone had handed it in streets away at the local police station! My husband had just enough time to drive and collect it before the police station closed and he had to collect 2ndSister from ballet class. I DO NOT THINK THIS WAS MERE COINCIDENCE!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone. Who knows, I may be back for more regular blogging updates in the future :-)

10 Michaelmas Facts

When I was at a Very Posh University we used to start the academic year with Michaelmas Term. I never really knew much then, not being Christian and all, about the Feast of Michaelmas, but I was curious when reading today's Church of England Office for Michaelmas Day (aka Morning Prayer) so quickly read up, mainly relying on Wikipedia, as you do. So now I know:

1. Michaelmas Day used to be a HUGE deal - both the end of bringing the harvest home,
2. a quarter day marking the start of the next stage of the year,
3. AND a day of holy obligation.
4. It is the feast day of the Archangel Michael, who smacked down Lucifer, and also celebrates all the other archangels and angels 
5. As the Months of Edible Celebrations website details, "Michaelmas is different from most other saints' days because it honors a spirit and not a human being."
6. Importantly to me, our local annual large funfair in the city of Nottingham, still called the 'Goose Fair', originated as one of the Michaelmas celebration fairs.
7. I love to take the kids to Goose Fair and eat hot dogs and mushy peas with mint sauce!
8. People used to eat goose when they partied, as well as Michaelmas cake.
9. Michaelmas cake can range from a type of bread, or bannock, to a sweet cake, and there are various recipes over the internet. I'd plump for a blackberry and apple crumble :-)
10. There are lots of churches dedicated to St Michael and all the Angels. My nearest is a short drive away although I've never been.

                          

 

Photos of Goose Fair rides from Wikipedia's page