They’re No Baby Einsteins

Social skills is what parents should encourage with their children.

if you want your kids to be happy love them .and teach how they can love another people.

if you want your children to be happy love them and teach to your kids how love other people

Thanks for your article. I will only add that it is quite possible to be gifted, kind, confident, and happy. Lacking social skills is not only for the supersmart.

Good article.

All children are not "gifted" but all children do HAVE "GIFTS." There's something wonderful that should be nurtured and celebrated about all children. Perhaps it's the ability to light up a room with his/her laugh, or to see what to do with objects in three dimensions (a future plumber, surgeon or sculptor), or to do math problems in his/her head. Maybe it's the determination to work when things seem impossible, or just surviving when he/she is badly injured. It's good for all of us to believe our kids are special; they are! My niece is very smart and does well in school but our family is especially proud that she was chosen as the "Kindest Kindergartner" last year. Her generous spirit and her ability to bring out kindness in other people is more important than her great reading skills.

I think much of the pressure to have children in "gifted" programs is due to the factors the author cited but also to get challenge for children performing at higher levels. There are kids sitting through classes that don't challenge them; reading "Hap the Cat" when they're ready for Harry Potter. And children who can't count to 20 are forced to do math problems adding 20 to 56. Let's celebrate our children's gifts AND differences!

Good article.

All children are not "gifted" but all children do HAVE "GIFTS." There's something wonderful that should be nurtured and celebrated about all children. Perhaps it's the ability to light up a room with his/her laugh, or to see what to do with objects in three dimensions (a future plumber, surgeon or sculptor), or to do math problems in his/her head. Maybe it's the determination to work when things seem impossible, or just surviving when he/she is badly injured. It's good for all of us to believe our kids are special; they are! My niece is very smart and does well in school but our family is especially proud that she was chosen as the "Kindest Kindergartner" last year. Her generous spirit and her ability to bring out kindness in other people is more important than her great reading skills.

I think much of the pressure to have children in "gifted" programs is due to the factors the author cited but also to get challenge for children performing at higher levels. There are kids sitting through classes that don't challenge them; reading "Hap the Cat" when they're ready for Harry Potter. And children who can't count to 20 are forced to do math problems adding 20 to 56. Let's celebrate our children's gifts AND differences!

If you want your kids to be happy, teach them how to hurt others and get away with it. If you want them to be special, teach them how to hurt others and then be praised for it.