Does everyone think their children are very smart?

amother

Smokey

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 2:16 pm

I think my dd age 5 is extremely bright intellectually. But lots of people think their kids are bright. Does everyone think this about their kids? Some kids but not others? Are their people who think their kids are just average intellectually?

Basically, do you think your kids are bright or not and what do you base it on?

amother

Azure

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 2:19 pm

I see a difference between my two kids. My oldest was walking and talking at 1, and in general is very inquisitive and thoughtful with a great memory.
My next child is more laid back- still not walking or talking at age 14 months. He seems less intense.

amother

Salmon

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 2:28 pm

amother wrote:

If you want real info on how to assess email me judaictutor@gmail.com

Chayalle

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 3:13 pm

A family friend of ours who was in Chinuch for over 30 years once told me that there are different kinds of "smart".

There's the kid who is academically smart - does well on the books. You know, gets 100 on tests with minimal to no effort, or much less than their peers....

And then there are the social smarts. The kids who have 100 kids following them, with no special effort - they just draw everyone to them.

Then there are the street smart kids. She explained this as, the kid you'd want with you if you were stuck on a desert island. They just know how to get by.

So what kind of smart is your 5 year old?

I find this topic interesting. I was considered a smart kid - translate that to, I did well academically without going too crazy. But I didn't have it easily socially, and I'm not the most street smart.

None of my kids are like me. I would say one is very socially smart, and one is very street smart. The third is kind of geeky and might turn out to be academically smart, but at the present time could care less and makes little effort.

Rappel

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 3:22 pm

Chayalle wrote:

I'd like to add kinetic intelligence to this list. I'm trying to describe those kids who are perfect at sports, who catch on to karate/a dance after seeing it one time, who can climb a wall using just their fingers and their knowledge of their body's weight distribution...I hold such people in awe. Brilliant.

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 3:36 pm

This is an interesting question. Sometimes we think that a child is smart because we don't have a proper yardstick. In a classroom full of children the same age, the child who seems brilliant at home might appear to be average. On the other hand, that same lack of comparison can lead parents to underestimate their children too.
Our oldest is gifted (she's 12 now). She spoke in complete sentences at 12 months and by age 2, she had the language skills of a 5 year old. We had no idea that her ability to talk was at all unusual. People would express incredulity, but we still didn't realize that not all babies of that age can speak.

amother

Jade

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 3:40 pm

I think my kids are all pretty intelligent. Not the most brilliant kids out there, but definitely in the top percentage of the class. Like their parents I guess. One of my kids is very lazy which sadly holds her back. Sad

They all had reading ages of 14 or 15 when aged about 9.

Their teachers all comment on their intelligence so its not just me.

Socially, some of my kids do better then others. Books are just such good company though, so no one is ever lonely.

amother

Ecru

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 4:00 pm

dc1 is not at all sociable or kinetic but is really academically smart. dc1 will start school in fall but already reads about physics and loves his cousins mathsbook (for 9 year olds), solves equasions and has an excellent memory with no effort. everything that is logical (the circle of fifth, timestables, gematrias, solving riddles/problems, rubic's cube, chess...) is fun and easy for him. dc1 loves spending time on his own in the quiet without many distzractions and has always (even as avery yoiung toddler) occupied by himself for a loooong time.

dc2 is VERY sociable has tons of friends cares for other people warmly and likes to hug etc. he is kinetic and likes to be surrounded by people.
he is definitely less academically smart that dc1 and is not interested in logical problems at all. he is creative id say.

dc3 is still a baby but is the most active...so id say yeah my kids a are amazing (of course) but each has a different type of cleverness and I cant really compare them to each other.

amother

Honeydew

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 4:19 pm

I think my kids are brilliant. But they are, BH. They are at the top of their classes. I think one of my kids is less academically smart than the others, but she is definitely smart in other ways. She's so empathetic and seems to just "get it" socially in a way that I never did and some of my more academically smart kids don't.

amother

Aquamarine

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 4:27 pm

I know (not think) that my oldest is brilliant k"ah. He can calculate complicated math examples way above his age level, and he remembers every thing he hears/sees. I think he's a synesthete because twice he mentioned about the colors that different alef-bais have.

My second is smart k"ah but not brilliant. She's at the top of the class, but not THE top. But very socially smart.

My younger ones, still too hard to tell. They're definitely not stupid. I don't think it's possible between my DH and I to have children who aren't of above average intelligence. But I'm not one those mothers who is convinced her kids are the smartest, cutest, most amazing the world has ever seen. I guess I'm too smart for that. LOL

L K

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 4:33 pm

Zehava wrote:

Well I do
But I’m gifted so there’s a good chance my kids are too

Zehava, pardon my stupid question but how do you know you're gifted? I'm asking sincerely and for a reason Smile

Do you have some natural exceptional abilities or talents? Or some interesting skills?

I, for instance, have usually had great success with less than average effort in academic settings and know that some of my abilities, talents and interests differ from those of most people. Maybe I'm also gifted...
however, o don't possess anything that would jump out at me as a super-skill, such as dunno...phenomenal memory or piano talents.

parenthetically, maybe it would also explain some of my social challenges.

Please share how you arrived at conclusion about your "giftedness."

amother

Maroon

Mon, Jul 30 2018, 4:54 pm

L K wrote:

Zehava, pardon my stupid question but how do you know you're gifted? I'm asking sincerely and for a reason Smile

Clearly I'm not Zehava - but people are 'tested' for this - and usually in the context of 'gifted learner' - such that an approach to schooling can be taken.