Highly gifted children often operate on many different levels. While they may read on the level of children years older than themselves or be able to carry on political conversations with adults, they may have the social skills of children their own chronological age. Parents need to be aware of developmental norms so they do not get upset with behavior that seems childish for a precocious child but is, in fact, very age appropriate. Parents also need to be aware that highly gifted children sometimes have difficulty developing friendships with children their own age. This is particularly true when there are very few, if any, other gifted children among their peers with whom to talk and share experiences.
Many gifted children have to constantly monitor what they say and do in order to fit in with peers.
This is one of the reasons gifted and talented camps and programs are beneficial. They allow academically talented children the opportunity to interact socially with other young people like themselves. In such an environment, they can feel comfortable and be themselves without seeming unusual. Gifted children face a social world where their differences are neither easily accommodated nor necessarily appreciated. The most important thing their parents can do is to create a home environment where those children are unconditionally loved and accepted for who and how they are.