The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child

by Sally Yahnke Walker

Title says it everything a parent needs to know about having gifted children.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education, Psychology, Family, Reference

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Sally Yahnke Walker, Ph.D., is a consultant, an educator, an advocate for gifted children, and the Executive Director for the Illinois Association for Gifted Children. She has piloted programs to create a broad-based level of support for talented students in public school districts, provided in-service training for teachers, and facilitated workshops for parents of gifted children.

Reviews

[Jane]

Some very good information in this book, but I was disappointed that this 'revised and updated' edition is still almost 20 years old - all references for additional information and current thinking are from the 1990s. Surely this could be updated further!

[Kristen]

I really struggled as a parent to accept that my child is gifted and that with that comes the need to truly advocate for her in school. This was a quick read that confirmed that it’s a unique challenge to raise a gifted child and gave helpful tips.

[Karyn]

A read for work. Some good tips. More parent oriented than teacher. Good for teacher to see parent’s concerns.

[Jessie]

Unfortunately, this book was 33 years old when I read it. The information about giftedness within this book is quite outdated, and it isn't very helpful for parents in 2024.

[Jamie]

I really appreciated the focus on advocacy and working together as a team with your gifted child's teachers and other providers in this book. I myself can be rather skeptical of gifted programs, since I've seen how much they segregate by race and class. But this book operates from the premise that gifted education is important, since it's addressing needs the parents and kids have, and I appreciate that.

The book spends a lot of time on perfectionism, underachievement, and other social-emotional issues that gifted kids face. I wish there was more detail on these topics! However, the tips for parents on how to deal with these issues are also good for teachers.

I'm wondering as a result of this book--how do we support gifted kids' social-emotional development as their teachers? How do we find time for the 1-1 conversations with students that mimic what parents can do every day?

As a teacher, I really appreciate the focus on collaborating with your students' teachers and figuring things out together, rather than accusing or criticizing. Maybe that's me resenting or wanting to avoid conflict, but I do think I personally want to do my best by all my gifted kids, and I appreciate the parents who suggest extra resources and occasionally express their appreciation, over parents who are constantly fueling my anxiety and my own perfectionism.

[Beneth]

I have not read this book but based on its description and reviews of it, I would like to. My 4 year old son will be starting at a public school kindergarten soon and I want to help ensure he gets the best education possible there. I have no doubt my son falls within the "gifted" category. I want to read this to know what I'm talking about when I relate to his teachers and administrators at his school.

[Cheryl]

This book is so helpful for parents (and teachers) of gifted children! As I read through this book, I recognized my child in so many of the descriptions. It's nice to know that other children share the same tendencies and also how to handle certain things that come up with gifted kids. Every child is unique and the authors of this book recognize that. This book has inspired me to continue reading and educating myself on the nature of gifted children as it pertains to my own family.

[Lourdes]

Excellent book! This is a short easy read that I recommend not just for parents, but for any adult that comes into contact with gifted students. It allows you to better see and understand the point of view of children that think differently. I've been teaching for 17 years and wish I had read this earlier in my career. I would have been better prepared to support students that don't always fit "in the box". This will definitely help me grow as an educator.

[Betty]

This book really helps parents see that their child isn't the only child doing some of these random things that seem so different from others around them. This makes gifted kids finally seem normal and helps parents advocate for thier child.

[Julie]

The book doesn't go into much depth. Many of the how's and whys won't be answered in this book, but it is a good overall synopsis into parenting a gifted child. This book is a nice springboard for parents just beginning the process of patenting a GT child.

[Marc]

A book that gives a good overview of the general issues in dealing with gifted kids. A bit dated (1991), but much of the discussion still resonates for us. Like many parenting books, you'll take what you can from it and read others.

[Kellee]

This book is extremely accessible with a very clear writing style. Not the most in depth book about gifted children and how to understand them but it does provide a good overview.

[Sheridan]

This was a good book, but dated. I am looking for a newer gifted book to read.

[Melly]

Informative and easy to read ... made me consider advocacy at the state level which I hadn't thought about before.

[Kylie Fager]

Very helpful as a parent and a teacher. Will be a great benefit in the classroom and helping to get things in placed kids.

[Pamela Marshall]

A good overview for a parent whose child has just been identified as gifted. Not good for a veteran.

[Cecilia]

Informative and easy to read. Great starter book for the newbies.

[Pam Levitt]

Great intro/overview book for those folks seeking to learn about their gifted children and how to support them.

[Kokeshi]

If you are wondering if your kid is gifted vs. having adhd this is the book for you. Very well written.