Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my friend's toddler is a genius

316 replies

flowerpowerr · 13/09/2019 14:05

I went to visit a friend yesterday. I was shocked and impressed to hear her 26 month old DD already counting to 20 and identifying different colours! Is that normal at such an early age or is the child a genius? My friend and her DH are both bright.

OP posts:
cheeseandbiscuitss · 13/09/2019 16:30

OP you carry on being impressed. We should be proud of the next generation. Even if it's because they are developing within normal limits. That is something to be amazed and proud of! Not everyone gets to experience that!

Bugsymalonemumof2 · 13/09/2019 16:32

My nearly 5 year old can't reliably count to 20 yet. She is quite jumpy though and will go from being shaky to solid over night as she has shown with most skills 😂

BlackeyedGruesome · 13/09/2019 16:37

knew another under two who did that. His Mum was a teacher

bloodywhitecat · 13/09/2019 16:37

There is a huge difference between being able to recite numbers to 20 which is what I assume most posters on here are talking about when they are talking about 2 year olds and being able to count objects to twenty which is a target in numeracy.

MWNA · 13/09/2019 16:42

You're plainly taking about your own child and hoping for lots of posts saying "Wow, that's amazing! So young! Definitely gifted."

CecilyP · 13/09/2019 16:44

The OP could have described a toddler reciting Shakespeare and she still would have got dozens of replies saying “Yep, sounds totally average”.

But OP asked if the toddler was a genius. Others were saying what their kids could do at that age while assuring her that they most definitely didn't turn out to be geniuses. Yes, I would say the DC was above average - but that is all. I wouldn't be particularly impressed with chanting numbers to 20 as it would just be like reciting a nursery rhyme. It they demonstrated a genuine understanding of numbers, then I would be very impressed. Also, if a toddler can be taught to recite Humpty Dumpty, I guess they could be taught to recite Shakespeare. It would just be an odd thing to do!

CandiceSucksCandy · 13/09/2019 16:45

Mine couldn't do it at 3...
However from 18th months she old knew when and where I'd hidden chocolate in the house, which to me is genius.

FurnitureAndBackgammon · 13/09/2019 16:47

'It's a self-propelled forage harvester.'

'Oooh good, right hand drive'

love these GrinGrin

My Dd started telling the time at three, just saying 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
flowerpowerr · 13/09/2019 16:47

You're plainly taking about your own child and hoping for lots of posts saying "Wow, that's amazing! So young! Definitely gifted."

@MWNA Er, nope! I don’t have any kids. Why don’t you do an advanced search on my user name if you don’t believe me?

OP posts:
rededucator · 13/09/2019 16:51

flowerpower some people are being mean. I think it's lovely you're taking such pride in the kid and are enjoying watching the wee one learn. Sod the rest of the misery guys Smile

NigesFakeWalkingStick · 13/09/2019 16:51

Sounds normal.

My nearly 3 year old can count to 100. That feels abnormal to me 😂 Worth noting he refuses to potty train, is woeful when it comes to physical tasks and rarely plays with toys unless they are number related, plus I think he has ASD.

So for what he's very good at, he lacks in other areas 😂

lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 16:51

Reasonably advanced, but not outside the normal range. Not sure why everyone needs to be so snarky!

x2boys · 13/09/2019 16:55

Well.obviously this is mumsnet so.barely worth a mention Hmm

ravenmum · 13/09/2019 17:03

Saying that it's not outside the normal range isn't negative. It's positive - children are amazing. Your average child can learn all kinds of weird stuff at an early age.
My brother could recognise a 2CV from a great distance at that age, I think it was one of his first words. He grew up with my dad, who's a steam buff, and would talk about rolling stock and the like.

CorBlimeyGovenor · 13/09/2019 17:03

My son learnt the alphabet at 18mths, could arrange it in order by 22 months and could count to 100 by 24 months and spell simple words phonetically and memorized the spelling of much longer works. People have told me that he's a genius, but I think that he's at the upper end of being bright (esp mathematically and problem solving). DD is a much slower learner, but much more creative. I think that there is a large realm of 'normality' and different kids accelerate at different ages. I would say that my DD (aged 3) is fairly average (although good at maths), although this makes no allowance for artistic or emotional intelligence. That's the trouble with 'intelligence' - defining it and not limiting it.

nonmerci · 13/09/2019 17:05

Arf at ‘26 month old’. Two, he’s two.

Yeah, this is pretty standard and average.

MouseInATelescope · 13/09/2019 17:11

Kids are all different and I hate to label them "genius" or "slow".

The teachers labelled mine a genius and gifted (In Nursery he passed the phonics exam they do in Year 1. By Reception his reading age was 7 and he was counting to 100 in two languages) It made him feel secluded from the other kids and he had no friends they were all so confused by how different he was.

My 3 year old can count to/recognise numbers up to 20 but might miss some numbers out. He probably knows all his colours. He does not know the whole alphabet and cannot read anything. He will not sit down and learn them he has no patience, he just wants to dash about and have fun. There is NO rush at this stage, let them be kids.

somanyresusablebags · 13/09/2019 17:14

He sounds very clever and clearly adults are speaking to him often which is lovely.

This is not the place for these questions. Mumsnet hates the idea of people thinking their children are smarter than average.

I have one (of three) very intelligent child. He is my biggest worry but I don't discuss it here.

LightTripper · 13/09/2019 17:15

Well my 2.5 year old can do colours but definitely can't count to 20, so I am impressed Grin

SimonJT · 13/09/2019 17:15

My son could do it at two, and he spent the first 13 months with abusive and neglectful birth parents, so can’t be unusual surely?

INeedAFlerken · 13/09/2019 17:20

First 2 year old the OP has met, I imagine.

Knittingnanny · 13/09/2019 17:26

I’ve had 3 children, got young grandchildren and have been an infant teacher since 1978. I’ve taught some amazing children who were fluent readers, very advanced numerically and language wise over the years. I’ve also taught children who left infant school unable to read fluently who have gone on to flourish and attend university.
My eldest could read and add up accurately at about 3 years, but was really slow to potty train. He could play simple tunes on the piano that he worked out himself, but wore nappies at night time until he was 6.
They are all different.

Newmumatlast · 13/09/2019 17:30

Genuine question, why are months still being used when the child is 2? Makes it feel younger as still being referenced in months like a baby. Maybe that's why it feels impressive as you're thinking of the child as a baby still but actually at 2 years 2 months it's not unheard of is it?

MutedUser · 13/09/2019 17:39

Yes very average for that age . There will be exceptions to the rule with kids that do more or do less. But all of mine could do that at that age.

Jux · 13/09/2019 17:39

Normal. DD could also name the shapes up to dodecahedron, but so could other children in her nursery. The staff were impressed when they were going through the alphabet and she knew what an X-ray was, and also when she showed them China on a map Grin