top of page

Transitioning Your Gifted Child from School Year to Summer Vacation

Missy Hand Bedell

By Missy Hand Bedell.

One of the first differences I discovered in my gifted daughter centered on her inability to transition. While other kids would leave play dates or birthday parties calmly, she would sob, wail, and sometimes need to be carried out over my shoulder. Hitting me. No matter how large or small, transitions were an exhausting battle.


Transitioning out of school into summer has always been a challenge. Over the years, we’ve been able to provide her with coping mechanisms to help:


· Minimize the number of errands per day, limiting them to only as many as the child can handle. When she was young and I attempted three to four errands in one day, she would often fall apart by the end, lying on the ground, making strange sound effects, fidgeting.


· Prepare for the transition. Multiple times, we talk about the “summer routine,” the lack of a schedule, what clothes to wear that are appropriate for this time of year, what different job responsibilities she will have for the summer.


· Allow the turbulence to happen from time to time. We know she will struggle the first couple of weeks out, and if we’ve helped her in other ways, that’s OK. One of the “truths” I’ve learned as a parent is to lay the groundwork as much as possible to help with her transition, and then let the transition happen. She’s acquiring a life skill; she does need to work it out on her own.


Changing our lifestyle to support her transition needs challenged us, but the rewards have been immense. She is thriving right now, an eight-year-old finishing second grade at a Montessori School. She reads on a seventh grade level and does math at an early third grade level. She is a budding, accomplished piano player. But, more important than the achievements themselves, we are beginning to see in her a greater emotional balance. Gradually, she is the one gaining control of her transitions.


Reference

Kurcinka, M.S. (1998) Raising Your Spirited Child, Harper Perennial

________________________________________________________

Missy Hand Bedell spent six years as a criminal defense attorney before becoming the parent of her first gifted child. In August 2009, she created a blog for parents of gifted children, Loving My Children’s Gifts. Along with educating parents about their gifted children, she hopes to alleviate, through humor and empathy, some of the doubt and difficulties parents encounter while supporting the needs of their gifted children. For the coming year, she will be Board of Trustees President for a local Montessori School and just accepted the nomination for The Ohio Association of Gifted Children Parent Division Chair Elect. This is her first article for the SENG Update Newsletter.

325 views

SENG publishes materials that hold a Creative Commons license, which permits the noncommercial re-use of its content when proper ownership of the content is ascribed.  SENG’s materials that are provided to the public for free are freely available for copy, display, and distribution for non-commercial purposes under the following conditions:  (1) the content clearly ascribes the ownership of the material to SENG or other attributed organizations; (2) any logo may not be removed, obscured or modified that appears in any of SENG’s materials; and (3) a print or digital copy of the shared material is provided to SENG at inquiries@sengifted.org. The materials published by SENG may not be reproduced for commercial purposes, or profit, without the express written permission of SENG. 

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

The material and information contained in this website is for general informational purposes only. The resources and information contained in this site is not clinical, medical, educational or legal advice, is not intended as clinical, medical, educational or legal advice and should not be interpreted or relied upon as clinical, medical, educational or legal advice. Always consult with a qualified expert before making any decisions based on the content presented in the site. 

 

Any opinions expressed in this website are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SENG or constitute an endorsement of the information contained therein.  

 

While we have made every attempt to ensure the information contained in this site has been obtained from reliable sources and is accurate, SENG makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, fitness for a particular purposes, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services or related graphics contained in the website for any purpose. In no event will SENG, its related partners or corporations, or the partners, agents or employees thereof be liable to you for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this site or for any consequential, special, putative or similar damages. 

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook - Black Circle
  • Instagram - Black Circle

Supporting gifted and 2e individuals since 1981

© 2024 by SENG - Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted

Contact US

Accounts/Billing - accounting@sengifted.org​ 

SENG Office:

15255 N. 40th St. Unit 147

Phoenix, AZ 85032

bottom of page