This handbook is designed to help parents understand, encourage, and help their gifted children. A brief overview includes discussions of the meaning of the term "gifted," the identification of gifted children, and the goals of gifted education. Parents are advised to assist their children with time management, decision making about time and activities, appropriate behavior, responsibility for routine tasks, task completion, and time for daydreaming. It is recommended that parents as role models should provide enough psychological freedom and safety to allow children to take chances and make mistakes. Assisting children in setting realistic goals is discussed as another function of parents as role models. The use of leisure time is discussed, including the examination and management of parents' leisure time activities as examples for children. Suggestions are given for creating a stimulating environment with trips, reading time, hobbies, supervised experiments, writing, and verbal expression. Praise for specific accomplishments is recommended to reinforce children's self-concept. Answering questions and providing time for questions also is presented as an important task for parents. (EM)