Overview

Parents and educators expect gifted children to be well-behaved, studious, and hard working. Why, then, do so many have trouble in school? According to Dr. Rosemary Callard-Szulgit, perfectionism—the number one social-emotional trait of gifted children—can actually immobilize some children and cause social adjustment problems for others. This explains why so many of today's gifted children do not, or cannot, complete school assignments or even follow through on personal responsibilities.   During her forty-five year career, Callard-Szulgit has helped hundreds of students and their parents recover from the harmful effects of being perfectionists. In her second edition of Perfectionism and Gifted Children, Callard-Szulgit provides practical insight into perfectionism, discussing why so many gifted children are perfectionists while also providing common sense solutions to the problems this presents. This book will be helpful to families and educators of gifted students, as well as to gifted children themselves. The expanded question and answer section will better help parents and teachers ease children’s anxieties and behaviors that stem from the problems of perfectionism. Appendixes list current associations and advocacy groups, Internet resources, journals and magazines that address the special needs of the gifted and talented.

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9781610486798

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Reviews

Callard-Szulgit does an excellent job of differentiating between perfectionism and aspiring to excellence. CHOICE In this positive, practical, and inclusive book, Rosemary Callard-Szulgit distinguishes between the pursuit of excellence, which is healthy and productive, and perfectionism, which she defines as negative and problematic. She writes about the ways highly capable learners can feel so pushed to meet their goals that they can't acknowledge their limitations, the ways they become incapacitated by anything less than perfection, and therefore learn to avoid challenge and risk. Acknowledging her own lifelong battle with perfectionism, she writes, 'Perfectionism hurts! It not only hurts physically and emotionally, it can interfere with relationships.' Based on decades of experience with gifted learners, Dr. Callard-Szulgit provides proven strategies for helping young people (and their parents!) rework perfectionism into the pursuit of excellence, and reassures parents that 'with proper counseling, perfectionists can be helped to lead a more balanced and realistic lifestyle.' -- Dona Matthews, author, Being Smart about Gifted Children Dr. Rosemary Callard-Szulgit has succeeded in creating a resource that is rich with anecdotes and true-to-life experiences while also informed by research and theory. Rosemary acknowledges the often-debilitating stresses and challenges of perfectionism but more importantly guides readers in constructive directions that can lead to effective problem solving and the pursuit of excellence. -- Donald J. Treffinger, Center for Creative Learning, Sarasota, Florida; former editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly and Parenting for High Potential

Callard-Szulgit does an excellent job of differentiating between perfectionism and aspiring to excellence. CHOICE In this positive, practical, and inclusive book, Rosemary Callard-Szulgit distinguishes between the pursuit of excellence, which is healthy and productive, and perfectionism, which she defines as negative and problematic. She writes about the ways highly capable learners can feel so pushed to meet their goals that they can,t acknowledge their limitations, the ways they become incapacitated by anything less than perfection, and therefore learn to avoid challenge and risk. Acknowledging her own lifelong battle with perfectionism, she writes, 'Perfectionism hurts! It not only hurts physically and emotionally, it can interfere with relationships., Based on decades of experience with gifted learners, Dr. Callard-Szulgit provides proven strategies for helping young people (and their parents!) rework perfectionism into the pursuit of excellence, and reassures parents that 'with proper counseling, perfectionists can be helped to lead a more balanced and realistic lifestyle., -- Dona Matthews, author, Being Smart about Gifted Children Dr. Rosemary Callard-Szulgit has succeeded in creating a resource that is rich with anecdotes and true-to-life experiences while also informed by research and theory. Rosemary acknowledges the often-debilitating stresses and challenges of perfectionism but more importantly guides readers in constructive directions that can lead to effective problem solving and the pursuit of excellence. -- Donald J. Treffinger, Center for Creative Learning, Sarasota, Florida; former editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly and Parenting for High Potential

Author Information

Rosemary Callard-Szulgit, EdD, is an adjunct professor and the current field coordinator for gifted studies in the graduate online gifted certification program at the University at Buffalo. She directs the consulting firm Partners-for-Excellence (www.partners-for-excellence.com) in Rochester, New York and consults both nationally and internationally with gifted children, their parents, and their school districts.

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