CYM and ALL: The gifted child has an intense drive that needs to be released in some way. Find out what the child really enjoys and encourage it. Show them that you are a supporter. If at any time the child is unable to find a release, conflicts could start to arrise, even to extremes. An example; "Water puts out fire,.....a knapkin can catch fire,.......so if I soak the knapkin in water it shouldn't catch fire". The child turns on the stove, soaks a knapkin in water and tries to prove it to him/her-self. Ten minutes later, the fire in the house is put out. ADULT perception of the CHILDS' actions; "Why did you try to burn down the house!? What were you thinking!? Are you trying to put us on the street!? Do you hate me or something!?" Needless to say, the child will find a way to release their intense drive through complex thought. Boredom is a childs worst enemy and can lead to adverse consequences. So the question is, should the child find a release doing long division in the first grade, or the ladder?
