to not like the term 'bright'

[southeastastra]

so is every other child 'dim'?

[Champersonice]

So Southeastastra, does that mean people are not creaky on other threads?

[bruffin]

What are they then southeastastra!

[olderandwider]

My child is gifted
Yours is bright
Hers is (ahem) only average

[southeastastra]

hey i didn't say it offended me! just i didn't like it - thought they must be a nicer word

jeez alright iabu

wow people are creaky on this thread

[Wallace]

I remember one Mum at a toddler group talking about her son, in an almost awed tone "The doctor said he's very bright"

The kid in question was about 10 months old, and I presume the doctor was meaning bright as you usually would for a baby, as in "bright and alert"

[sausagesandmarmelade]

What does it matter really what word is used...why dumb down the english language...why not keep words alive.

If a child excels at a particular thing...violin playing, ping pong, cooking, singing whatever...then they are showing a particular gift (gifted).

I'm constantly amazed by the things that 'offend' on this forum.

[seeker]

unlike me, who still can't get italics right.

[seeker]

I don;t mind it usually. But it is used by a certain type of parent to describe a child they consider to be exceptional. Often to justify eiher unacceptable behaviour, or a parental decision that they feel they need to explain "Oh of course the nearest primary is wonderful but we go to church/go private/HE because he's very bright^, you know"

[AlpinePony]

not only = not just, words can have different meanings

[AlpinePony]

Bright is a really nice word - it suggests not only intelligence but a warmth and glow - imagine a really, happy smily child! :)

"Gifted" on the other hand is the ponce word to out-do all previous ponciness!

OP Are you suggesting that all children be described using the same adjective and that we never acknowledge their individuality? Should we treat them as Borg? Alternatively, if you dislike the "two" categories of bright vs. the alleged dim, how about classifying by IQ? E.g., "Emma darling, you're a 145, your best friend Sarah's just a 104 and your brother is just a 92".

[Bucharest]

S'fine as long as teacher isn't hollering so everyone can hear "Tarquin is bright whilst Jerome is a bit of a thicky"

Children have to be graded somehow.

[sausagesandmarmelade]

I use the term a lot (pay lots of compliments where I think they are due)...don't see anything wrong with it and am not making a comparison with other children, but it gives confidence to the child and reassurance to the parents I think.

[TheDogsBollocks]

nothing wrong with bright.

[AlpinePony]

YABU.

[Goodynuff]

would you prefer adept?

[PilgrimSoul]

I would not use bright to describe an academically gifted child. I would use clever.

[lurkerspeaks]

What word would you propose we use instead?

You do need one and academically gifted is considerably more of a mouthful?

[BakeliteBelle]

Only when said by boastful parents...I don't give a hoot if your child is bright so don't bother telling me.

[PilgrimSoul]

I don't mind the term, but then I use it for children in the same way as I would for adults, being either drains or radiators.

Having volunteered for years with children, some are bright, some for academic ability, others for leadership ability, or are funny... whatever, but they shine.

[Asinine]

Or tall
Or musical
Or skinny

Etc

[EvenLessNarkyPuffin]

Yes. And no-one should every say a child is pretty because that must mean every other child is ugly

[musicposy]

"Kim Ung-Yong was a boy that was speaking at 6 months, was able to read 4 languages by age 3 and got a Ph.D in physics at 16."

I take it back. DD2 is quite dim.

[musicposy]

Hard to know what to say really to describe, if you are referring to academic ability. My DD2 is a genius but I can't go around telling people that; I'd have no friends left. So I tend to describe her as "quite bright".

I don't think it's a judgement on anything other than her academic ability; I always hope it infers nothing else other than she's quite bright! I certainly don't think it means other people's children are dim (although maybe a bit dimmer than mine, of course ).