We have heard so much about gifted children that it makes other parents whose children did not fit into this category wonder if they received the short end of the stick. It raises questions like, why is my child not gifted? What can I do to make my child gifted? How do I identify my child's talent? How do I know if my child has talent? And the list goes on. So many children have been forced to take part in activities they have no interest in because a misinformed or desperate parent wants them to 'acquire' a particular talent. These children have grown into adults who are unsatisfied with their lives and wish they were someone or something else. Many of these adults resent their parents for forcing them against their will. If you are a parent with young children and wondering what path their lives will take, this article has met you in good time so stick with me here.
Every child has a talent, and there is something special about all of them. No one is born untalented, the challenge is the parameters with which we measure their success. The so-called gifted children are referred to as such for lack of a better adjective to qualify them at that time and other abilities were not considered too. The more appropriate name should be academically gifted children because they have exhibited exceptional abilities in linguistic ability and/or mathematical ability. So potentially speaking, every child is a genius who is waiting to be discovered by time and circumstances.
Types of intelligence
Until recent times, intelligence quotient (IQ) measurement was very limited. Then Howard Gardner proposed a theory of
multiple intelligence that has helped to widen and diversify the different types of abilities that have been discovered and were previously overlooked and ignored. They are:
- Naturalist ability
- Bodily-Kinesthetic ability
- Musical ability
- Interpersonal ability
- Existential ability
- Spatial ability
- Interpersonal ability
- Linguistic ability
- Logical/Mathematical ability
The above means that even if your children do not fall into the group of those with linguistic and mathematical abilities, they do have where they belong and it will show up eventually.
Difference between talents and gifts
Talents are God-given abilities that we are born with to help us fulfil our purpose. Every person has a talent whether they believe in Jesus Christ or not. Talents make success easy for us as long as we discover it and put it to good use. They are door openers and they shorten the curve for you.
Gifts on the other hand are the gift of grace we receive after salvation. The Bible expounds more on this in Romans 12:6-8, 'Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.' These are spiritual gifts only received by believers in Christ.
How to identify your child's talents
For some children, their talents are hearing enough while for others it may take some time and work before it is discovered. Parents have a huge role to play in helping our children discover their talents. It is worthy of now that God will not position beyond our reach what he designed to be our destiny, they are around us and will need keen observation.
- Spend time in prayer asking God to show you his call upon the life of your child. Everything in life depends on your relationship with God.
- Be filled with the Holy Spirit, the promised comforter who will teach us all things, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).
- As people in your children's life what they think and have observed about them, 'When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying,Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?' (Matthew 16:13).
- Look back at your children's track record, what works for them? What or where have they been getting their best result?
- What do they enjoy doing the most?
- Allow them to experiment with different activities, you don't know which one may 'click' with them.
How to nurture your child's talents
- Read aloud to your children whether they are too young to read or can read by themselves. You are planting in them a love of learning that will always be with them even during adulthood.
- Pay attention to their interests, especially during free play. The activities they gravitate to may be where their talents lie.
- Be present when discussing with your kids, dismissing their questions can frustrate their efforts to know more.
- Do not impose your dreams on them, that will be very selfish. Let them choose their area of interest while you support them.
- Begin early in their lives to identify their interests and involve them in activities that interest them. This will build their confidence as they grow.
- Let your children have access to well-rounded education to develop the total child and also register them for extra-curricular activities.
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