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Original poster

At what age to toddlers start to recognise and point out numbers? Because....

36 replies

ilikeyoursleeves · 10/05/2009 21:54

...my sister asked if my DS (1.5 years) can press certain numbers on the phone if I ask him to, and I said 'no he is only 1.5 years old!' to which she replied that her 7 month old DD can do it when asked to (ie to point out number 1, 2 etc on the phone)!

Is she talking crap or is my DS way too slow????!!! (I know what option I'm going for but just wanted to check!)

OP posts:
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flowerybeanbag · 10/05/2009 21:55

She's talking crap

squeaver · 10/05/2009 21:56

Sorry but PMSL.

Does she recite Shakespeare too?

SoupDragon · 10/05/2009 21:56

She's talking cr*p IMO. 7 months old and 1) recognising numbers 2) responding to an instruction and 3) managing the precise coordination to point to the right one??

SoupDragon · 10/05/2009 21:57

Unless, of course, you meant 17 months

cuntish · 10/05/2009 21:58

My 3.5 yr old can recognise number 1, but not the others yet
I'd eat my own head if her 7 month old can do it

Hulababy · 10/05/2009 22:00

I have never heard f a 7 month being able to do it that's for sure.

17m old may be able to. 7m is very dubious.

heather1980 · 10/05/2009 22:01

my dd is 2.6 and knows the numbers 1 through 9 but she's only started doing that in the last month or so and she still gets them mixed up sometimes

andiem · 10/05/2009 22:08

she is definitely talking c**p

Original poster
ilikeyoursleeves · 10/05/2009 22:14

No she is 7 months old! Phew, I thought she was talking crap! She was also telling me I should have the TV on all day so DS can get the educational benefits . Her DD is glued to it already and everyone seemed to think there was something wrong with my DS as he was more interested than his toys than Teletubbies. Apparantly her DD is really into Beethoven due to 'Little Einsteins' or something. Oh well, my DS is into rock & roll from daddy's ipod!!!

OP posts:
Hulababy · 10/05/2009 22:17

Is she her first child? Does your sister know many other people with children?

nigglewiggle · 10/05/2009 22:19

He sounds fab.

DD is 3.5 and she only just recognises the numbers 7 and 1. She can now press them on the remote and get Cbeebies on demand .

Don't recommend this particular method of teaching!

pooka · 10/05/2009 22:19

7 months old! PMSL.

Original poster
ilikeyoursleeves · 10/05/2009 22:25

Yes it's her first child- her DD and my DS are a year apart pretty much and she always seems to think they can do exactly the same things . And no she doesn't really know others with kids but whenever I try to give her advice it's kind of sniggered at as if I'm a total snob (eg, my DS only has water not juice, barely watches TV, has homemade meals etc). What a terrible existance he leads So now I just nod and go 'uh huh' when she tells me crap like her DD is reading War and Peace already.

OP posts:
Housemum · 10/05/2009 22:27

Welcome to the sport that is competitive parenting!

Personally, my kids have learned various things at various times. End of. (Smiled generously at friend last week desperately asking her child what noise a pig/cow/sheep etc made so she could stake her place in the lead as my DD3 just ate the book instead)

7 mths???? Has she been reading the article about the 2 year-old in Mensa and is trying to get her LO in early?

Hulababy · 10/05/2009 22:29

Next time suggest she gets her DD tested by MENSA as such mathematical abilities are so amazing.If you go OTT over how amazing her DD's capabilities must be and how you have never heard of another child being able to do that ever so early - it might embarras her into being a bit more sensible in fture perhaps.

hophophippidtyhop · 12/05/2009 13:27

Call her bluff - ask for a demo next time your there!

HopeForTheBestExpectTheWorst · 12/05/2009 13:45

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn on request of the poster.

SemperEadem · 12/05/2009 14:00

My DS (2.1) can count to 14 and was counting to 10 at 19 months but there is no way he can pick those numbers out on a phone.

I think its more that he has strong recall and can remember what follows what as opposed to the whole number recognition things.

She is talking rubbish

JemL · 12/05/2009 14:33

My DS (2.11) can count to 20, and can recognise numbers in a sense - ie he can look at a 7 and know it is a number, but he is as likely to call it 4 or 9 as 7.

Please, please, ask her to demonstrate it to you. PLEASE!! And then tell us about it

Wallace · 12/05/2009 20:35

7 months! That is sooo funny

What else can her dd "do"?

Triggles · 12/05/2009 20:35

DS (2.10)can count pretty well - I can hear him counting his socks as he pulls them out of the dresser drawer and throws them on the floor. "one sock, two sock, three sock...."

BarbaraWoodlouse · 12/05/2009 20:41

I'm pretty sure she's talking crap.

But may I also gently point out that (diluted) juice, the odd ready made meal and a controlled amount of TV will also do a child no harm either.... Perhaps a hint of PFB-ism on your part too?

ellingwoman · 12/05/2009 20:49

Tell her it's so fantastic she should put it on youtube. Then we can all have a laugh

Ceebee74 · 12/05/2009 20:51

7 months - yeah right!!

DS1 (2.10) can recognise a few numbers (all connected to Thomas the bloody Tank Engine) but doesn't know what they are called iyswim. So he can point to a 1 and say like Thomas, point a 2 and say like Edward but he can't look at the number 1 and say it is 1 - he just recognises it as Thomas' number (if that makes sense).

Certainly not recognising any letters either.

Oh yeah, just realised that Ds2 is almost 6 months old so just a month younger than your niece.....there is no way on earth that a baby that age could do what she is saying. I am lucky if I can get DS2 to stop eating his hand - let alone get him to press buttons on a phone with it

PrammyMammy · 12/05/2009 21:02

If i showed ds a phone when he was 7 months, he would have tried to eat it.
He is now 17 months and can say 'one, two, threeeeeeeeeeeee' but he doesn't have a clue these are numbers, just what he has picked up from dp counting before he picks ds up, as in 1,2,3 weeeeeeee and he pretends ds is a rocket or something lol.
I think maybe your friend is fibbing, and you should ask her to show you.