Sophia Elliott is the founder and podcast host of Our Gifted Kids. She has had a career full of turns and new learnings but found her passion and calling advocation for gifted children and their education. She is a supporter and curator of information for parents of gifted children. She is the mother of three gifted kids and shares her journey and lets other parents of gifted children know that they are not alone. Her podcast and community is just getting started!
TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
- There is a need for gifted information and podcasts
- It’s hard to find all the people connected working in the field of giftedness such as teachers, parents, experts, academics, psychologists
- Parenting gifted children is not as easy as the term makes it seem. It’s actually quite challenging.
- Your child is usually all you know so it is sometimes hard to recognise giftedness
- Most parents of gifted children have to advocate and fight for their children to get the educational environment they need
- The higher op on the gifted scale the more specialised education is required because of the asynchronicity
- Gifted people can be amazingly flexible generalists which we don’t seem to value as much as specialists
- We want to teach our gifted kids to know themselves but how can we do that if we don’t know ourselves?
- We need to give children the vocabulary. They already know that they are different. They need to know why and how and therefore, need the vocabulary
- We need to have a conversation of what it means for kids & adults to be gifted because the experience of the world is different
- Gifted kids are not “easier” or lucky and will not “breeze” through school
- Knowing your giftedness will change the way you see yourself and your experience of the world. It will make sense for the better.
- Gifted children and adults need to learn how to fail at things! If you don’t want to fail as adults it makes it harder to take risks
- You as a parent of a gifted kid has the permission to be THAT parent to have the conversation with schools about your kids need. You have permission to stand up for your child and advocate for it.
- It’s not a reward! It is a gifted child’s right to learn at a pace and stage that they need to learn at!
- Ask the schools if they have gifted students and what they do for them to learn more about the school’s understanding of gifted education
- As a parent you need to be brave and not be afraid to ask the questions and keep looking until you find the right support and school. But it is hard
- Sometimes school miss use the term gifted as high achievers. This is not the same.
- Kids are a gift but not all kids are gifted!
- Familiarise yourself with the education system for teachers. In Australia only the Master’s program for teachers covers the topic of gifted education. Teachers do not learn about giftedness in undergrad.
- The taboo is so strong and it is NOT ok! This sends the wrong message to the gifted kids telling them THEY are not ok!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Our Gifted Kids website |
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