Would you know what I meant by a 'quaint' child?

[OrmIrian]

I told DH that I thought DS#2 was that. And that you could tell he was a child of older parents. DH took exception to this but I don't think it's a bad thing.

DS is quite an earnest child, he talks about things in great detail and isn't easily distracted. Don't misunderstand me, he laughs a lot and is a happy little soul, but he does tend to go deeply into things. He doesn't have lots of friends although all the children at school like him, but he gets a bit mithered by big noisy games with lots of people and much prefers to have one best friends than a host of them. He is quite young in his interests - fascinated by animals and dinosaurs, even though at 6 many of his peers have moved on to TV programme characters such as Ben 10 and Spiderman. Some of the children tell him that is babyish. He likes his own company and can keep himself entertained for hours with a few model animals and imagination.

That's what I mean by 'quaint'. What would you call it?

Yes somuch, I have 3 and DS#1 is the youngest. DS1 was a little like this too but not so much now. In fact he's getting more 'mainstream' by the day

Gaghhh! 'DS2 is the youngest'.

Yes sounds like my DS as well, though he's younger, nearly 4. I also like this thread because it's making me feel more positive as I do worry that he will be made mincemeat of at school - and I like the term "quaint".

DS can have strops and get upset, but doesn't do tearing around shouting and roughhousing - and when other boys are rough with him he is just so passive and baffled-looking. He does individual friends, not groups. And like the other boys on this thread he will talk for hours about dinosaurs, inside the body, plants etc but really doesn't get other children's obsessions with characters (though he likes the jungle book - typically old-school!).

I was telling DP recently about an incident where DS's much rougher friend threw sand in his face unprovoked. DS didn't even cry, just looked completely amazed - certainly didn't retaliate, it just wouldn't occur to him. DP said "he's like a little Gandhi" and DS joyfully exclaimed "Yes! I am Gandhi!" Hope that's not literally true but it sums him up really...

So true about the viewing choices as well. DS likes some children's telly but really wants us to put on adult documentaries about dinosaurs and volcanoes - or weirdly specific requests for us to find things on youtube like "please can I see about how they make cornflakes in a factory?".

muffle Glad it's making you more positive. Please try not to worry too much! DS does sound like my DS1, and like everyone he has had his challenges at school, but is really fine!

Your DS will no doubt adapt when he goes to school, and will also no doubt find other kids who are like him.

Damn that blows my only child theory (although I'm quite glad about that in a way!)

Screaming - I also get annoyed by the boys are all boisterous stereotyping.

Perhaps interestingly ds will be going to a boys school which seems like a stupid idea for a non-boisterous boy but we loved this particular school and my thinking anyway is that in a class of 20 boys there is more likely to be a few like ds than in a mixed class of 20 where there would only be 10 boys but the genders don't play together much by school age.

Yes, I know what you mean and you have described quaint beautifully! DD is like that too, and also has problems with large groups and prefers to have one special friend. Sadly, in her current school there is 'no one quite like her' (her teacher said) so that she hasn't really found the right person yet . When she was 3ish she used to love drawing volcanoes - the magma chamber underground etc, but that was soon taken over by egyptology, which, 6 years on, is still her passion. We, too, are older parents.

I am delighted to hear that DS isn't the only quaint one. Perhaps we should form a support group POQC. Then we could have a get together once a year to compare oddities and drink wine, and the childre could get together to compare strange obsessions and lecture to each other.

OrmIrian Great idea ! LOL

Oooh, we could have a Mastermind-type competition with a "Specialist Subject" round

Jux lol @ magma chambers

What, out of interest, is an older parent (I was 30 when i had DS1)

I was 38 when DS#2 was born. I think that's reasonably old. Well I feel reasonably old

when i teach children like this, i think of them as 'old fashioned', in the best possible sense.

We could hold the meeting at the Science Museum - the spiritual home of QCs

I was 37 when DD was born, soon to be 38, so I definitely count myself as an older parent. I felt fairly old at the time but that's nothing to how ancient I feel after two years of parenthood and early mornings.

to me these children are what children should be like.

not the fully formed miniature consumers i seem to see everywhere, dressed head to toe in designer gear, bored as hell with everything, high on fruitshoots and learning to swear.

totalmisfit I sympathise with your sentiments, but I have got a non-quaint DS as well who is not like you describe!

I was 41 when dd was born (do I win?)

I was 41 when dd was born, Jux, so we draw.

screamingabdab - we nearly live at the Science Museum!

hester LOL. We go there a lot . DSs two favourite things are (obv.) the Launch Pad, and also this model of a tractor pulling a plough, in the farming section, next to the Plastics exhibition. We have our packed lunch next to it so he can sit and watch it (I'm worrying myself now!)

Another great thing we did recently was a "Model Engineer" exhibition at Alexandra Palace. Almost exclusively middle aged men wearing anoraks (sorry to stereotype, but it's true!). Model railways, boats, tanks, aircraft etc. QC heaven.

This was me as a child. It was hard to make friends in primary school (the library lady was my best friend ] but once in high school it was better. He will be better off in the long run. He will be very confident talking with adults, public speaking etc. He will stand out in regards to behaviour, manners etc but this is not a bad thing. It may be difficult now (my mother despaired that I was morphing into some kind of Enid Blyton creation) but he will be much better off then his peers.

Are your QCs (I think this abbreviation should stick) quaint and weirdly grown-up about food too?

The other day in Waitrose I was by the cheese aisle and instead of doing the usual 3 or 4 year old thing of wanting say, dairylea or cheese strings, ds asked (loudly ) for some camberzola.....he is a total poncey pants when it comes to food and definitely sounds very 'quaint'.

From OP the quaint child seems to be totally of his age, ie not a 6yrold teenager.

I like kids to be kids, hate seeing little kids dressed like teenagers/ grownups watching TV that is far to old for them and speaking about things they shouldn't have a clue about, I love to see the innocence of childhood, jars of tadpoles, jam pieces, hair in pleats, running in the woods, wellies and guddling on the beach all afternoon.

Maybe I should change my name to camberzolaandcranberry?