How to Discipline a Gifted Five-Year-Old

Encourage your five-year-old to read for pleasure.

Parenting a gifted five-year-old is not always easy, no more than being a gifted child is always an unmitigated joy. One issue that can cause a problem is the maturity of the child. It is easy to be so influenced by the words a gifted five-year-old child uses, and her ability to grasp a point, that you actually forget her tender years. Intellectual ability does not always go hand-in-hand with emotional maturity. Indeed, you can sometimes see very intellectually able people who are behind their peers in matters of emotional intelligence. You need to be well prepared to deal appropriately with disciplining your gifted five-year-old.

Instructions

1. Liaise closely with your child's teachers. If his unacceptable behavior occurs at school, you need to be aware of this and respond swiftly. Some gifted children can talk a lot in class; this can disturb other students. Ask his teacher to send you a regular report on his behavior. Cooperate with the teacher to ensure he has enough homework and additional recommended reading to keep him occupied.

2. Maintain age-appropriate boundaries with the five-year-old. Inevitably, gifted young children attract attention and praise. This can be confusing, and the child can feel that she is older than her years. Treat you child as a five-year-old, with rules and routines, around issues such as bedtime and play. Make the rules on behavior clear to her.

3. Adopt a consistent approach with your child. Do not threaten punishments and then fail to follow these through. If you, for instance, tell him that he will have no television for a month if he refuses to play properly with his sibling, you may find that this is too heavy a punishment to maintain. Make punishment immediate and short-lasting. If you give in, the intelligent child will see your weakness and possibly exploit it.

4. Spend fun time with your five-year-old. Sometimes gifted children struggle with other areas of their development. One reason for this is that other children perceive them as different. Ensure that your child participates in a broad range of extra-curricular activities.

References

• Berkeley Parents Network: Advice About School-Aged Kids
• ri.net: Characteristics and Behaviours of the Gifted