To wonder when your DCs interests/talents emerged?

[ArtisanPopcorn]

Just that really. I'm really looking forward to being able to encourage/support DDs 'things' when they become more clear so I'm just wondering if your child is into or good at something specific (drawing/team sports/history/writing/computing/music/whatever) when did it become clear?

I am 42 and still don't have a talent. I feel really shit now.

Am happy for my 11 year old DD to do the things she enjoys, whether she is super talented or not. She is musical and artistic and creative. Not sure how good she is compared to peers but I send her to lots of extra curricular classes as she really enjoys them. I could definitely tell that she wasn’t sporty from an early age though. She is the least competitive person I have ever met though, so I don’t think sports will ever be her thing!

It's interesting isn't it. With/without pushing people (not just children) tend to get good at things they enjoy.

For me it was reading and drawing as a child. It wasn't until doing a-levels at a decent school it was discovered that I was very academically able. All that reading paid off! Think c's at GCSE to Oxbridge level. Which was a surprise to everyone.

I'm tone deaf and got fit as an adult but was deeply uninterested in sport as a child.

DD is much more sporty than me and good at most sports, is already better than me at maths (c grade at GCSE was the high point of my maths ability), reads loads and can sing beautifully in tune.

She loves reading but hates writing. She picks what activities she enjoys and does them.

The only thing I sort of made mandatory is horse riding. But that's because it's my passion and at the moment she enjoys it. If she ever stops (she will when she is 13, pretty standard) I'll be sad but it's up to her.

Annoyingly she is much more of a natural at it than me and could be really good but I'm not going to push it at all. She mostly messes about on ponies playing games.

So OP just watch and wait. It's one of the joys of seeing DC grow up and their personalities emerge.

It's not a race and there are no markers to worry about!

My teens don't appear to have any special talents. I've encouraged everything from music to sport but they are both quite happy sitting on their backsides. I was in a supermarket today though and I was chatting to a friend and she was talking about nightmare teens and I had to say mine were just lovely! Absolutely no attitude and a wisdom beyond their years. So I'm happy with my lot.

DS1 suddenly did extremely well in his maths SATs aged 11. He was always fairly good at school but his maths aptitude flourished that bit later.

DS2 had multiple ways he could have excelled, academically bright and good at sport. He was, on the whole, too lazy to pursue any of them to any extent.

Both are happy and well adjusted young men. Most people don’t excel at much. To do so suggests that you are in, say, the 1% of best at that activity so it stands to reason that the majority are just good, fine or not great at the activity.

Age about 6 for DD1 - history obsessive (final year at university, applying for Post Grad) who even then spent all her waking hours devouring books about the Ancient World, and loved nothing more than going to a museum or stately home. She decided at 15 to do history at university and had the privilege of being lectured by Mary Beard last year.

Aged about 11 for DD2 when it became clear that she wanted to do nothing except perform. She's been going to drama club, dance classes and singing lessons since then, is involved with youth group at local theatre, and is planning to apply for drama school next year.

With both, I was perfectly happy for them to do what they enjoyed, and didn't necessarily expect them to continue with their childhood interests. DD1 for example has Grade 8 music but no desire to do anything with it, and DD2 is a good academic all rounder with a particular talent for maths, but only wants to act. I have insisted however that she stays at school to do A Levels to keep her options open in case she decides not to do drama after all.

DS20 is an exceptional singer, musician and actor. He started singing age 2, which we thought was cute, he picked up a guitar at age 5 which we thought was clever. His dad taught him a few chords but he learnt to play by himself.
He took an interest in music in high school, started playing piano and saxophone and bass.
He started getting asked to play in bands when he was still at school. Making money.
He's been in big stage productions (not west end yet) and he's been the MD of a couple of musicals. He's been in dozens of smaller shows, all really well received.
From those first songs aged 2 I knew he had talent, but everyone thinks that at that age! Now at 20, he's a frickin genius and living an incredible life.
I'm so happy for him.

I’m really interested in this and the extent to which there is a nature/nurture thing. My nephew is amazing at maths. He’s yet to take his GCSEs but everyone assumes he’ll do something maths related at university. He was well ahead from toddlerhood and has stayed that way.

My daughter is still only 3 but she was an early walker and just loves sporty activities and is clearly one of the better ones in her classes. With her, I don’t know if she’ll end up being sporty because she has just had more opportunity to develop those skills or because she was naturally inclined to do physical stuff.

I think it does become interesting though re nature/nurture because do parents just pick things based on what their toddlers seem to enjoy and then nature them in that direction? There must be an element of just doing the hours to get good at something but lots of people won’t ever get the opportunity to try different activities out or have the parental input for more academic subjects.

It can be difficult if you live in an area, like I do, full of ambitious pushy parents with money to spend on multiple or high level extra -curricular activities, coaching and tuition etc. You do start to wonder why every other child is so amazing at something when yours are just normal. In fact, most people don't have a secret talent and are just normal but if you chuck enough time and money at something you will inevitably become very good at it.

Eventually those with real talent (particularly in something like sport) will shine through and only a very few will 'make it' but 1:2:1 lessons twice a week, week long boot camps and all the best kit will of course make you better than someone of a similar level without those opportunities.

DS1 is an able Mathematician ( that's what school call him!), we knew he'd be good at Maths when he was about 2/3

DS2 is not particularly clever in anything but loves researching and in particular about the world, languages etc. He's still at primary school, I am intrigued to see how well he does at secondary school when they start learning about the things he's taught himself

Op, I wouldnt take the responses on here too seriously. Some posters are clearly exaggerating about the "little darlings" superb abilities

My DS1 was always super good at maths, even in pre-school and is now doing maths at Uni.
My other DS now aged 14 is good at graphic design and lyric video editing, but this has only emerged in the last year or two.
DD who is 17 is quite good at music, ok at most school subjects, but no amazing talents yet....

Looks like being talented at maths is nothing special on this thread!
The country needs plenty of maths graduates though....

My daughters are both bright, talented professionals now but I dont recall any moments of their childhoods which gave me any insight into their future interests.

My two are in their Mid-20s, so my perspective is somewhat different. DD an all-rounder, competent but no exceptional abilities. She was/is very keen on animals & wanted to be a vet, but around 14 realised that she wasn’t fond enough/interested enough in sciences to make the grade. Focussed on the arts, took an A level in photography & politics. Loved politics & scored highly, started in arts, but eventually returned to her real love, politics,& ended up in a Russell Gp uni. She now works as a business analyst, enjoys it, & uses he analytical skills gained from her degree work.
DS showed talent in what I call the math-music-language nexus. His brain wired to pick up systems. Always been adept at math, but real passion/skill is music. He ended up doing a BMus in composition. (Music at that level is rather mathematical) He now works in film sound design.
Neither of mine were particularly outstanding as children, I just tried to expose them to a variety of disciplines, musical instruments, sports, etc & was firm that they needed to be competent in both numbers & language skills.
Math talent is funny: it can show up early, eg prodigies, but then equalise later & like PP said, may not go into mathematics later.I do see it as an essential life skill.
Enjoy the journey with your DCs OP, they will blossom in their own way.

DD had an obsession for ponies since she was tiny. She is only just 10 and has already won at the highest level in her chosen discipline. We have gone without many things so that we can afford to support her and it has been worthwhile as she gets so much from it.

My DS (7) can eat more pizza than any adult I know

Lots of children who are gifted at maths at an early age don't go on to be maths geniuses (geneii??) as they get older, as the thinking skills required become very different and much more creative. Some do, but many don't.

In DS's case I'd be more surprised if he didn't. It's a family trait to be a maths genius with 3 phds in the family already in maths or maths based subjects. (On DH's side, not mine, I'm thick as a brick)

DS, 4, sees dead people.

DS(7) Really academic, brilliant maths brain and loves coding (top of his year in IT) and anything problem solving involving tech. He loves swimming and would love to get the competing level, but he's naturally very anxious and panics (gets this from me ) so this is holding him back. He can swim, but needs to become a lot more confident in the water. I'm gently encouraging him by taking him for lessons, and weekend sessions.

DS3 Far more confident. No anxiety whatsoever. Less academic, very hard to get his concentration as all he wants to do is run and climb and jump and swing from things. He'll go for gymnastics lessons when he's 4 at his school. I can't take him yet as all the others do "weekends" when he is with his dad and his dad won't take him.

I'd hate for them to pin all their hopes on one thing like a sport, practice until they hurt, and just not be good enough in the end. It must happen all the time and be so heartbreaking.

DS1 is brilliant at mental arithmetic. He's now doing a maths degree 😊 He is also kind and lovely and plays cricket too.
DD is 18. She has always been amazing at sport and in school teams for the things she was willing to play (not netball!!) She was picked for the county cricket team at 12 and had a ball for 6 years and was an excellent county level player. She has now reached the end of junior cricket and is not planning to play at all this year!
Her best talent is her ability to go anywhere and get on with people 😆
DS2 is a talented cricketer, has a go at footy, and is generally clever, laid back and a pleasure to have around

@TinnedPearsForPudding 👏👏👏👏 that IS an art

There will be a certain amount of self fulfilling prophesy.
So parent thinks child is good at maths. So they ask them to count things, show them how to add up, play games that involve maths. Then child realises that they get attention for doing maths things, so does them for the attention.
Also Maths ability is apparently a recessive gene (ie needs one from each side), so the parents are more likely to be mathematical, so more likely to do things that encourage mathematical ability, and value it.

Or music: they're musical so parents offer lessons, praise them when they sing, so they become confident singers etc...

Having seen various children go through the "very talented/keen" at primary school age very few of them have continued long term. And those I know who as young adults are really making it in their field, very few were notable for it at primary school age.

Let her concentrate on enjoying what she does now.

My nephew is 6. When he was just turning 3 it rapidly became clear he was very able academically, with little input from anyone else he started to read quite fluently, he had also learnt the main phonics sounds from an app an older cousin had and would sound out tricky words correctly. He also had an amazing grasp of numbers. None of us recognised it truly at the time, it's now more obvious as the children in the family who have followed are different.

My DS is 3. He seems pretty similar to his peers. He is obsessed with the Octonauts

My 6 year old is a great swimmer and she definitely has an aptitude but I image many children will catch up with her as they are given the opportunity to learn. We spent a few years abroad and she swam most days so has been given a lot more opportunity than her peers.

I was an all rounder and got quite good (nothing exceptional) at the things I chose and practiced hard for when I was in my early teens and I imagine others are similar.