FWIW, I was a "gifted" child, according to my mother and some of my teachers (according to my mother they thought I was highly gifted, but that's her words). Reading at age 2, multiplication age 5, writing fully punctuated stories age 7. (OK, so an over-fondness of the semicolon now I read them back; that never died down!)

All my mother did was tell me to be more like my social butterfly sister. I now have social skills, however I generally hate socialising as it was forced upon me then I was told how crap I am at it. I went into teaching partly so I could talk about what interests me and not be told I was dull and uninteresting for it. I also don't want my mother in my life very much. I was never pushed academically - if anything I was pulled back, as I was denied private school (after passing the exam to get in) and was never academically encouraged. I bombed out of school, hating every minute of the lack of social graces I had and also being told at home I was dull, stupid, lazy.

This from a girl who at 14 taught herself about quantum physics and Schroedinger's paradox. From the girl who taught herself to read music and play the piano age 6 (I wasn't much good at the piano age 6, mind, but I was determined to learn!). OK quantum physics is pointless for your school exams when it wasn't taught at that point lower than university level, but I still read up about it and had a good grasp of it. And I got to go to CERN a couple of years back - one childhood dream achieved! (I don't think I'll achieve the dream I had when I was nine, which was becoming a polyglot: that year I tried to learn French and Greek from books and couldn't quite manage it, although I do still try to learn more languages.)

My point is - by all means see your child as a child, as a whole, and treat them as a child. But intellectually - push them. Encourage them. And when you have to teach life skills other children can grasp inately, such as socialising - don't ever tell them they are stupid and slow for not being able to do this of their own accord. Everyone is gifted in some ways and slow in others - gifted academically doesn't mean success in everything else. Just as you'd encourage a gifted athlete and help them with academic work without the put-downs.

My son is bright, but not academically gifted. He'll do well, but it won't be easy for him. He is, however, very gifted socially. Good for him. That's not the same as me and I can't keep up with his social life, but he's enjoying it. That's all I want for him. And I do not plan on berating him for learning his letters age 4 rather than age 1 like his Mamma. (FWIW, I know many people who didn't learn letters until they went to school - we read the same books now. Gifted is great, but at some point it levels out a bit and it's good if there are some coping skills learnt too.)