Raising Gifted Children in the Christian Faith

13/10/2018

Raising Gifted Children in the Christian Faith

Any parent who sees signs of giftedness in his or her child might need to consider this as a talent, one they should nurture and not bury. Let's take a look at how to raise a gifted child within the Christian faith.

About the Author of this Guest Post:
Jemmy is a trained psychometrician with an expertise in Child Psychology and has over 10 years of experience working in primary education with a special focus on gifted children. He is a contributor with IQ Test Centre, an organisation for IQ testing of children between 5 and 16 years old. Read more of his content on his website, and on his Facebook account.

The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14) tells us the story of three servants, each set on their way with a number of talents.
When the servants return, two come bringing gain and have multiplied the talents given to them by their master.
They are praised but the third one, who so feared to lose his given share that he buried it, is cast out, for he brings the master nothing more than that with which he set out.

This parable can be understood, today, in the most literal sense: talents are given to us for cultivation, to be nourished and to be multiplied.
Any parent who sees signs of giftedness in his or her child might need to consider this as a talent, one they should nurture and not bury.
Let's take a look at how to raise a gifted child within the Christian faith.

The parable of talents reminds us that we should cherish the gifts within ourselves and others.
Raising a gifted child means, on one hand, that we should embrace their gifts and help the child pursue and develop them.
Whether it is in the arts, the sciences or somewhere else, a talent should be nurtured.
This can mean that the parent should provide opportunities for the child to practice their talent and encourage it, for in this way their gift is honored.

However, honoring and nurturing the gift doesn't mean reducing the child to their ability.
Many parents are enchanted with their children's gifts or view them as the only thing that matters.
This can lead to a lopsided development, especially in regards to the emotional and social aspects of life.
Children who are very smart can still struggle with making friends, fitting in, and developing the capacity for good relationships.
Often, this occurs because children might be “out of sync” with their peers, so it is important to help children manage these aspects of their life and ensure that their life is fulfilled.

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Parents of gifted children face challenges, but there are solutions

Firstly, this means encouraging the child's emotional and social development and providing plenty of opportunities for interactions with peers that occur within a positive context.
Even the best musical genius still needs time away from their musical instrument and around other children.
They need opportunities to play and develop emotionally, as well as intellectually.
Ensuring good emotional development can help avoid a big pitfall that many gifted children encounter in adulthood face.
They find that they are, certainly, smart but don't really know how to talk to people and their emotions can be difficult to manage.

Many children grow up to feel lonely, isolated, and struggling to adjust. Beyond nurturing the gifts, it is important to help the child's emotional development.
It is said in Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”.
Learning to be good at something is important but it is also necessary to learn to live with other people.
So, it is important to find a good balance between nurturing your child's talent and giving them room to interact with peers, play, and develop emotionally.
This means being attentive to how much work the child needs to do, their own interests, and their relationships with others.

A challenge many parents of gifted children face is associated with spirituality. Children who are gifted may tend to be more inquisitive in all areas of their life, including religion and faith.
They might ask questions that do not have an easy answer or explore religious ideas on their own. This does not mean that gifted children will reject the faith, rather, that they might take a more in-depth approach to understanding it, especially as they become older.
This can be concerning for parents who want to raise their children within their faith but it is important to be thoughtful about the response.
Children usually take after their parents in terms of religion, especially when the faith is not just taught but lived within the family.
However, it may be necessary not to dismiss the child's questions outright but instead try to think and look for joint answers.
When done sincerely, this type of conversation will only deepen the child's faith and yours as well, while dismissing questions is likely to lead to them staying rooted in the child's mind and later leading them to a search for answers, which might not be always ideal.

Gifted children present a special set of challenges. They require stimulation but also emotional support.
They need an environment that nurtures their intellect but also their emotional development. It is often a matter of finding the right balance.
The same happens with the recognition and praise that is given to the child. Parents of gifted children often fall into one of two extremes.
Either they shower the child with praise over their great ability or they see it as the norm, so they fail to recognize the child's achievements at all. It is important to find a way to balance these two extremes.

It may be good, for example, to compliment the child for their hard work rather than for their intelligence.
Intelligence as an innate ability is not something the child has control over, so it can make children feel concerned about making mistakes or experimenting.
Adequate praise should be a part of the child's life, as otherwise children might not recognize their own achievements and accomplishments, which, in turn, might make them less likely to further nurture and develop their talent.

Parenting a gifted child requires dedication and commitment. But the Scriptures and the Christian faith can guide parents in this difficult journey. Raising gifted children within the faith can lead to amazing results.

Pinterest Pinnable Image. Parenting a gifted child requires dedication and commitment. But the Scriptures and the Christian faith can guide parents in this difficult journey. Raising gifted children within the faith can lead to amazing results.

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