Enriching Your Gifted Child’s Life by Building Memories

Much of the discussion surrounding gifted parenting often revolves around education but even for the gifted child there is a world of opportunity beyond the classroom walls. Building memories through shared experiences can be the most enriching and rewarding part of your child’s life and an undeniable boost to meeting their social and emotional needs.

Summertime and holidays are the perfect time to build memories with your child … exploring their passions, experiencing nature, spending quality time discovering each other beyond the day-to-day routines of school days and enjoying life together.

Dr. Dan Peters

In a recent article, Dr. Dan Peters, co-author of RaisingCreative Kids, reminds us:

Remember, summer break is an opportunity for so many different experiences -- from creating and building, doing art, going on hikes, reading, exploring new places, taking classes, day and overnight camp, family adventures and more. While it is our job as parents to plan for your child's summer, it is also important to include them in the process. After all it is their summer. You might be surprised to learn what they have in mind.

One of the beauties of making memories is that it doesn't have to cost a lot of money and mostly requires only time. Yes, time is a precious commodity these days but you will never regret spending it with your child. Memories come in all shapes and sizes. They may involve an epic adventure to a faraway land or a simple backyard picnic. The important part is planning it together!

Backyard Picnic Table*

Research has shown that as we age, we remember less and less of childhood memories; especially those of our earliest years. From What’s YourEarliest Memory? we learn:

“Young children tend to forget events more rapidly than adults because they lack the strong neural processes required to bring together all the pieces of information that go into a complex autobiographical memory.” 

One way of ensuring that memories are not forgotten is to take the time to record your experiences. For younger children, this can involve creating a story. This can be accomplished through the use of diaries, journals, blogging, photos and videos.

Jon Hamilton in an article for NPR, The Forgotten Childhood: Why Early Memories Fade suggests:

Another powerful determinant of whether an early memory sticks is whether a child fashions it into a good story, with a time and place and a coherent sequence of events, Peterson says." Those are the kinds of memories that are going to last," she says.

  

Hamilton goes on to write:

And it turns out parents play a big role in what a child remembers, Peterson says. Research shows that when a parent helps a child give shape and structure and context to a memory, it's less likely to fade away.

An effective way I found to create long-lasting memories with my children was in the kitchen learning to cook favorite family recipes. Not only did we enjoy our time together but they learned to make dishes that could be recreated throughout their lives.

Children in the Kitchen**

Memories become a remembrance of us when we are gone. I can’t think of a better legacy than to have built memories with my children that they will carry with them when I am no longer around. So do something special with your child and start building those memories today!

Special thanks to Gifted Homeschoolers Forum for including this post in their July Bloghop. To view more blogs in this month's tour, please click on the logo below!

* Photos courtesy of Pixabay (Public Domain)

** Photo courtesy of morgueFile (Public Domain)