If you’re looking for that flash of brilliance in your child that may signal that he’s smarter than other kids, then you may be ready to slap on that “gifted” label. Whether your child walked, talked, read or reached some other developmental milestone earlier than his peers, it’s tempting to think he’s going to be another Doogie Howser. But gifted kids are few and far between. In fact, only one or two in a million will be a prodigy – meaning they read at 2, take college courses at 10 and so on. Just 2 to 5 percent of kids test gifted when they reach elementary school. There is a lot of pressure on parents to bring out their kids’ strengths and play upon them incessantly. “Good” isn’t good enough, it seems, when it comes to competitive school admissions and just plain old bragging rights. But what’s important is to have a happy, physically and emotionally healthy kid. To raise a happy – and, yes, capable or even gifted child – is to start early. Exposing babies to new things and stimulating their brains early on can help intelligence. Hold babies and preschoolers often; expose them to language and different voices speaking. As they grow, learning that is fun and interesting sticks with them – choose teachers and schools that encourage learning as fun. Build on knowledge you know they have – for example, if a child shows ability in counting, then expose him to numbers more frequently. As he masters addition and subtraction, then move on to multiplication. As they approach school age, parents may be tempted to have and IQ test administered, but these tests don’t take into account the entire spectrum of intelligence. Instead of pressuring your child to be smart academically, look for other gifts he might have. Instead of asking “Is my child smart?” ask “How is my child smart?” The answer may surprise you.