The experiences of parents raising children who are high achievers

Abstract

Child rearing is often seen as a great challenge by today’s parents. When the characteristics of a Child with High Intellectual Potential (CHIP) are added, the literature suggests that the challenge becomes more complex. The aim of this study was to explore parental experiences in raising a child with high intellectual potential. Using a qualitative approach, seven parents of CHIP, currently at the brink of adolescence, responded to semistructured interviews about their parental experience. All data was subjected to Thematic Analysis. The findings indicated that parents enjoyed a positive parental experience with their CHIP. However, they also faced certain challenges: parents found it difficult to keep boundaries and tended to treat their child as an adult due to asynchronous development; they had difficulty sharing their experience with CHIP with the rest of the family; had to stay actively involved to create a balance in the child’s life; had to deal with differentness and the feeling of isolation this brings with it; and found experience with school challenging. Contrary to the popular belief that tends to see the high-achiever as ‘problem-free’ and who does well no matter what, these findings indicate that raising a high-achiever is a doubleedged sword. It is recommended that both parents and other educators need to be aware and prepared to support effectively the growth and learning of children with high intellectual potential.