Book Review: Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students

What is valuable about Christine Fonseca’s new book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings, is perhaps best expressed by a comment left by the winner of last week’s book giveaway, Robin:

“My boy is calm, laid back, and a perfectionist. The girl, oh the girl, intense in every way. It amazes me how rage and wailing… can change during a 10 minute car ride to school and become a polite and charming girl. We have been looking for answers…”

How many parents reading this are thinking to themselves, So I’m not the only one?!

Perhaps as much as answers to specific situations and problems, parents of gifted children need reassurance that their experience‒their life‒is not abnormal, that their children and, in fact, their family are okay, and the book’s many short profiles, scenarios, and conversations offer that reassurance over and over again.

Of course, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students is mainly about “success strategies” for “perfectionism, underperformance, extreme mood swings, and recognizing and managing stress.”  One of my favorite success strategies that Christine offers is “The Movie Technique,” something I can attest from personal experience is helpful for adults as well as children. Gifted children are often easily upset by intense movies or video games. Parents and teachers can help them to be more aware of the mind-body connection by encouraging them to pay attention to how their bodies feel during the experience, and then to transfer that understanding to pre-test anxiety or other challenging moments.

By having these conversations with children when they are young, parents can help to build a mindfulness that will serve the child well his or her whole life. When children are more aware of how they feel and why they feel that way, they are empowered to make choices that allow them to manage their emotions rather than simply react to them, not just now, but for the long-term.  In the teaching process, adults also can come to an understanding of themselves that is often both surprising and even life-changing.

Busy parents of young, sensitive, “explosive” children will appreciate the book’s short sections. I would definitely recommend this book as an addition to a well-stocked gifted book shelf. I also want to thank Christine for the generous recommendation in the resource section of my book for gifted teens, The Smart Teens’ Guide to Living with Intensity.

Congratulations to Robin for winning the signed copy of Christine’s book by leaving a comment on last week’s guest post. Christine will draw another winner of not just a book copy, but also a t-shirt, bookmarks, magazines, notepads, and sticky notes. The random winner will come from all comments throughout her blog book tour and the reviews (so leave a comment here to increase your chances). The contest ends Sunday, October 17th, at midnight, and Christine will announce the winner on her blog on Monday, October 18.