I’m sure, among our readers, religious and spiritual beliefs are many and varied. It is our responsibility to help our children understand that unknown is not a scary place and to feel secure in life’s mysteries. Even if you feel there is “nothing” after this life, children will benefit by assurances that they and their loved ones have a purpose for being.

As parents, we will be challenged to guide our kids through a myriad of life’s ups and downs. If we respect their limited understanding of issues and guide their thoughts with a loving heart and acceptance of each aspect of life, no matter how difficult, we’ve done best we can under sometimes-extreme circumstances.

I've come to conclusion that gifted children have a burning desire to achieve academic excellence, whether in a competitive atmosphere or not. One gifted child we know had taught himself to read at two years of age, learned a foreign language (French) by age 4 and loved nothing more than to read historical novels and advanced math books. By age 11, he had acquired an amount of knowledge that most of us would be happy to acquire in a lifetime.

Highly gifted children can be found in all walks of life, in any economic class and from parents who are themselves high achievers or not. These are children who are born to learn, excel and accomplish. There is also consideration of child who is gifted in more subjective or artistic talents, not necessarily academic, but gifted nonetheless. These children are not as often identified but need as much stimulation and advanced learning as academic achievers.

For parents or caretakers, there is a responsibility that goes with nurturing of such a personality. These children need to be intellectually stimulated more than average and need greater outlets for their mental creativity. Sometimes, parents of these kids are hard-pressed to keep up, either financially or intellectually. The more parents and caretakers can offer these remarkable young ones, greater their chance of reaching their potential as outstanding individuals in our society.