Here are some of the topics that Bill Hendricks and Bev Godby have talked about on recent podcasts and radio interviews like Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, Multi Family Zone with Julia and Gino Barbaro, and Following to Lead with Kevin East.

Why should a parent read your book? 

Too many parents are scared to death they’re going to “mess up” their child by raising them the “wrong way.” They don’t realize their child comes with a built-in “owner’s manual” that can guide them in knowing what’s best for their unique child.

What do you mean by giftedness?

Quite simply, giftedness is what one is born to do. Everyone is born to do something—solve a problem, meet a challenge, get a finished product, get a reaction. Every person has their own unique giftedness. We specialize in helping people discover what that is—for themselves or for their child.

How can a parent discover the giftedness of their child?

You have to pay attention to what we call motivated behavior. That means the way your child naturally tends to function when they get to choose the activity and how they will do it. Our book explains that process in more detail.

At what age can my child’s giftedness be determined with any certainty?

Giftedness is like a picture that looks very, very faint at first but gradually fills in with more and more detail and color over time. If you pay attention, some elements of it will become obvious as early as 3 or 4. Other pieces you won’t know for certain until much later.

What if I don’t like my child’s giftedness?

It’s highly likely that there are some things you won’t like simply because your child is a different person than you. They will see the world differently and do life differently. As a parent, your calling is to steward this person you brought into the world, not try to make them someone else.

You say all children have some form of giftedness, but how does that work for children with special needs or other disabilities?

A child with a disability is not defined by their disability, they are defined by their personhood, which is where their giftedness resides. Their disability may affect how they express their particular giftedness, but it in no way diminishes the child’s worth or what they’ve been given to contribute to the world.

What difference will discovering my child’s giftedness make—both for me as a parent and for my child?

Discovering your child’s giftedness allows you as a parent to wake up to the wonder of your child and to take into account their unique bent in order to make wise parenting choices. As you help your child own and celebrate their giftedness, they will gain confidence in their core strengths and begin to find direction for their life’s purpose.

How does your book compare to other books on childrearing?

A lot of advice for parents is way too generic. It basically says, “Here’s what works for most kids.” Our premise is that your child is unique, that there’s a way to begin to discover that uniqueness, and that if you parent your child according to their unique bent, your child will thrive (and the task of parenting will a lot better, too).

How does giftedness factor into discipline and correcting a child for misbehavior?

Giftedness is never an excuse for bad behavior. But sometimes what a parent labels as “bad” behavior may actually be their child acting according to their giftedness, which simply differs from how the parent would act. You would never want to punish your child for doing what they are born to do—although sometimes you have to help them express their gift in a more appropriate ways.

How does giftedness compare with The Enneagram?

The Enneagram sorts people into one of nine “types” of personality. That’s fine, but every person is unique, which means that even if you determine someone’s type, they will still live out that type in their own unique way. Discovering your child’s giftedness allows you to narrow things down to their unique, individual way of doing life.

Here are some of the topics that Bill Hendricks and Bev Godby have talked about on recent podcasts and radio interviews like Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, Multi Family Zone with Julia and Gino Barbaro, and Following to Lead with Kevin East.

Why should a parent read your book? 

Too many parents are scared to death they’re going to “mess up” their child by raising them the “wrong way.” They don’t realize their child comes with a built-in “owner’s manual” that can guide them in knowing what’s best for their unique child.

What do you mean by giftedness?

Quite simply, giftedness is what one is born to do. Everyone is born to do something—solve a problem, meet a challenge, get a finished product, get a reaction. Every person has their own unique giftedness. We specialize in helping people discover what that is—for themselves or for their child.

How can a parent discover the giftedness of their child?

You have to pay attention to what we call motivated behavior. That means the way your child naturally tends to function when they get to choose the activity and how they will do it. Our book explains that process in more detail.

At what age can my child’s giftedness be determined with any certainty?

Giftedness is like a picture that looks very, very faint at first but gradually fills in with more and more detail and color over time. If you pay attention, some elements of it will become obvious as early as 3 or 4. Other pieces you won’t know for certain until much later.

What if I don’t like my child’s giftedness?

It’s highly likely that there are some things you won’t like simply because your child is a different person than you. They will see the world differently and do life differently. As a parent, your calling is to steward this person you brought into the world, not try to make them someone else.

You say all children have some form of giftedness, but how does that work for children with special needs or other disabilities?

A child with a disability is not defined by their disability, they are defined by their personhood, which is where their giftedness resides. Their disability may affect how they express their particular giftedness, but it in no way diminishes the child’s worth or what they’ve been given to contribute to the world.

What difference will discovering my child’s giftedness make—both for me as a parent and for my child?

Discovering your child’s giftedness allows you as a parent to wake up to the wonder of your child and to take into account their unique bent in order to make wise parenting choices. As you help your child own and celebrate their giftedness, they will gain confidence in their core strengths and begin to find direction for their life’s purpose.

How does you book compare to other books on childrearing?

A lot of advice for parents is way too generic. It basically says, “Here’s what works for most kids.” Our premise is that your child is unique, that there’s a way to begin to discover that uniqueness, and that if you parent your child according to their unique bent, your child will thrive (and the task of parenting will a lot better, too).

How does giftedness factor into discipline and correcting a child for misbehavior?

Giftedness is never an excuse for bad behavior. But sometimes what a parent labels as “bad” behavior may actually be their child acting according to their giftedness, which simply differs from how the parent would act. You would never want to punish your child for doing what they are born to do—although sometimes you have to help them express their gift in a more appropriate ways.

How does giftedness compare with The Enneagram?

The Enneagram sorts people into one of nine “types” of personality. That’s fine, but every person is unique, which means that even if you determine someone’s type, they will still live out that type in their own unique way. Discovering your child’s giftedness allows you to narrow things down to their unique, individual way of doing life.