Supporting Your Gifted Child During Quarantine
Guest Post by Stanley Clark
Supporting gifted children may be more challenging now that everyone needs to stay home and follow strict quarantine protocols.
Studies have noted the link between giftedness and neurodevelopmental issues, like autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)(1–2). As a result, some parents look for the best alternatives to children’s neurodevelopmental conditions.
Brain imaging data has shown that gifted children may experience sleep disturbances, sadness, anger, and lack of motivation(3). Therapies, dietary interventions, and essential oils for ADD and ADHD symptoms may help with these conditions.
Finding useful strategies can help parents and children overcome the added struggles brought by the pandemic.
Maintain a Calm and Comforting Voice
The quarantine period can be stressful for both parents and children. It is crucial to maintain a calm and comforting tone when speaking to gifted children.
Reassure your child that you and the whole family are there to keep them safe. To help ease their anxiety, be mindful of how you behave and respond to their reactions.
Be supportive of your child’s feelings and do not judge them. You can also give some affirmations of love and affection to make them feel secure.
Stay Open About COVID-19
When talking about the coronavirus pandemic with your gifted child, make sure that you give them accurate information. Correct any misconceptions or false information that they may have heard or acquired.
Moreover, let your children ask what they want to know regarding the pandemic. Listen to their questions and answer them with facts that they can easily understand.
However, you may want to limit your child’s access to highly upsetting news to avoid triggering their anxiety.
Encourage Kids to Focus on Activities They Can Control
It is essential to identify the things that your child can control. Encourage them to focus on other things, like having fun and playing with family members or pets.
You can also let your child talk to their friends, grandparents, or other relatives online. Help them schedule virtual playdates, so they have something to look forward to while staying home.
If your gifted child wants to walk or bike, you can accompany them while complying with social distancing guidelines.
Perform Mindfulness Exercises Together
Studies have shown that the health of the body and mind are closely linked(4). As parents, you can help your children stay healthy by encouraging them to perform physical and mental exercises.
Take yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness exercises together. Having a regular sleep schedule is also helpful to kids.
Motivate Kids to Help the Community
Another way to support your gifted child during quarantine is by encouraging them to help the community in their own little way.
For instance, they can write a letter to frontline workers, like doctors, nurses, and firefighters. They can express their gratefulness for the frontliners’ hardwork, patience, and kindness.
Your gifted child can also get involved in the community by participating in online fundraising campaigns, making small donations, or reading to younger children via video calls.
References
Nicpon, M. F., Assouline, S. G., Colangelo, N., & O’Brien, M. (2008). The paradox of giftedness and autism: Packet of information for families (pp. 1–40). Iowa City, IA: Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, Iowa University.
Flint, Lori. (2001). Challenges of Identifying and Serving Gifted Children with ADHD. TEACHING Exceptional Children. 33. 62-69. 10.1177/004005990103300409.
Hyseni Duraku, Z., & Hoxha, N. (2020). The impact of COVID-19, school closure, and social isolation on gifted students’ wellbeing and attitudes toward remote (online) learning.
Renoir, T., Hasebe, K., & Gray, L. (2013). Mind and body: how the health of the body impacts on neuropsychiatry. Frontiers in pharmacology, 4, 158. doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2013.00158.
About the author: Stanley Clark is a community development volunteer and writer. He had worked on several commercials, events, and campaigns before writing full-time in the area of natural health and wellness, contributing regularly to CBDClinicals.com & Motherhoodcommunity.com.
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