Is everyone on Mumsnet's kids gifted?

[colditz]

No, I'm not being bitchy at all. But some of the things that your 3 year olds can do, not one child at ds's nursery can do! Does Mumsnet attract high acheiving parents with high achieving kids, or are children in the SE doing better than other areas, or am I just missing something?

My ds is 32 months old, and when I see him with his peers at nursery, I am not at all worried, but when I read about what (it seems like) the majority of the children of his age of mumsnetters are doing, it worries me sick!

He isn't potty trained. He doesn't recognise his name when written down. He can't hold a proper conversation, and although he does see a speech therapist, this doesn't seem very uncommon in boys of his age. His only contribution to the computer is to stick inappropriate objects in the disc drive. Ditto dvd player, video, and cat. He is only just starting to use imaginative play.

I love him so much, he is the happiest, most charming child, but I am worried that I am doing something dreadfully wrong here, and he will suffer intellectually for my shortcomings as a parent.

Honestly, not a bitch-rant, I'm just getting quite worried now!

Colditz. I used to think that dd was super talented for some daft reason. Now she is in reception I can see that she isn't. She's reasonably bright but has poor social skills.

I would rather have a happy, charming sociable child any day. You have done nothing wrong!

Ah yes, and social skills is a whole other chapter. My children's social skills have been in complete inverse proportion to their speed of language acquisition. Dd2, the late talker, is by far the most charming and best at getting her own way.

Mine aren't, one happy, contented and at times very stroppy and independent 18 month old that I don't feel the need to worry about at all. One slightly odd, in a world of his own and often in trouble 5 yo that I worry about constantly.

neither of mine are 'gifted'

dd1 is fabulous and kind and wise but not academically up with her peers - she'll get there though!

dd2 is a small round blonde dictator (imagine maggie thatcher at 3)

gifts to me though

Colditz, my youngest son is 33 months old and, apart form being potty trained, he sounds the same as your son. I do have an academically gifted son (ds2) and I also have three seemingly normal children so I know the difference, but I wouldn't worry about your 32 month old if I were you.

My brother was also gifted as a child and I am not sure he is living a very ahppy life, and I worry about my gifted son in the future as I think he is going to be as depressed and as unable to find a niche for himself as my brother was. Being gifted isn't really always a gift.

I was officially declared 'gifted' and was in the Daily Mail

gave me an overriding superiority complex and none of my mates spoke to me for ages

PMSL Enid - in what area are you gifted.

I had a very high IQ and read well for my age

can we not talk about it anymore

Had anyone ever considered than a certain proportion of MN 'mums' just talk out of their hairy male arses?

so agree with baka on the interesting doggy vs colours.

Given free choice, which six year old would you want? - one that joins in beautifully with the school concert but is shaky on his three times table, or one that can work out 39 x 14 in seconds but needs to be reminded weekly that it is not funny to try to touch women's bosoms (and was banned from the school concert)?

PMSL are you still gifted at reading?

My ds is really quite clever I think. At three could recognise his own name, could chat (surreally) do stuff with numbers, colours blah blah he's now four and can read pretty well BUT is dyspraxic, has social skills problems, is still not totally reliable toilet-wise and has never had a single picture or anything on the wall at nursery - so I don't think any child is either advanced in every single way and of course, as others said, it's a long haul from 3 to adulthood and lots changes. FWIW I think ds's social and physical skills will both improve with age and I suspect some of his itellectual skills will not seem so forward iyswim.

am I still gifted at reading? Well I think its gifted to read anything when you have two kids and work

ah aloha thats sad about the pictures

you'll have to train him up secretly

Don't think I haven't considered it
Actually he's going to pre-school from January. He asked, 'will there be girls there?' He likes girls.

I bet he will absolutely love it there

Aloha - I am shocked - I'm sure ds2's nursery put ALL the kids pictures up - ad later you get a big bundle to bring home, still with traces of blu-tac on them.

My father is unbelievably intelligent - he is a scientist with numerous letters, armful of degrees and two honary ones, a quiet and dignified man who succeeded at everything in life. My mum didn?t go beyond school academically but is one of those sharp witted, practical, logical people who seem to know everything. I am very average in terms of ability and remember feeling like a total failure getting just B and C grades at A level and then a 2:2 degree - when I really worked hard at it. Felt I had let them down big time and felt very ordinary. Not helped by my siblings getting firsts in degrees, masters and one with a PHD.
If you do have gifted children be very sensitive to those siblings who are normal - it is easy for them to feel sub standard rather than normal when surrounded by high achievers

They are quite performance oriented I think. Lots of mums upset at the last summer performance as the 'talented' kids (they are three and four!) were given everything to do, and the rest were sort of standing briefly on stage.

dd1s school is like that

the same people get the parts every year and the rest just stand there

performance orientated!!!! they are only little

dd2s nursery (she is just 3) asked me if she 'could act' when they were giving out parts for the play

I said I'd ask her agent

but honestly...