You’ve been told that you have a gifted child. You think you ought to be happy. A gifted child. People say parenting this kid should be a breeze. But instead of celebrating, you’re freaking out.
Your What-If-Brain goes wild.
What if I can’t answer all of his questions? What if she hates school? What if he gets bullied? What if she’s OCD, ADHD and HSP? What if he has meltdowns in public? What if she becomes a sociopath? What if I’m the most inept parent who was ever born? What if I give in too much? What if I’m too rigid? What if I’m too emotional? What if he grows up to hate me? What if she’s not successful? What if he’s too successful? What if she doesn’t do her homework? What if he never learns to tie his shoes? What if she never finds any friends? What if he never learns how to fail? What if I’m always overwhelmed and anxious? What if I’m just like my mother? What if I’m just like my father? What if I’m not enough? What if I’m too much? What if I fail miserably and my kid ends up in therapy for ten years talking about how I failed miserably?
The list goes on.
And on.
Parenting your gifted child. Not a breeze.
What can you do?
In this social-media-internet age, there are easily accessible resources. For starters, you can go here, here and here.
But I wouldn’t be a good therapist, if I didn’t tell you to make time for introspection. Your child will benefit. More than you know.
Let me explain.
I know that you think your kid is gifted because of your partner, not you. Or because of your great-grandfather. Or because of the aliens who landed in your yard years ago. All of that may be true. But consider the possibility that you, too, may have these rainforest-minded traits.
Just look at how you worry. With great depth and creativity. Just like your kid.
Look at how sensitive you are to chemicals, sounds, smells, bad architecture and other people’s sadness.
Look at how darned curious you are and how you ache to learn about everything in this vast amazing universe.
Look at how you’re afraid of both failure and success.
Look at how you have trouble finding friends who aren’t overwhelmed by your enthusiasm.
Just like your kid.
Time to own it.
You have a rainforest mind. You are gifted.
The more you understand who YOU are, the better parent you’ll be.
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To my bloggEEs: If you’re a parent of a child with a rainforest mind, let us know how that’s been for you. What are you learning about yourself? What are the wonderfully rainforest-y things your child is doing and how do you feel about them? What resources do you recommend to other parents? And if you suffer from severe What-If-Brain, read this.
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