Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Gifted and talented

Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

Flip

Original poster

Advice on ways to encourage bright toddler needed please

22 replies

CarlK · 25/05/2006 09:57

At her 2 yr check up yesterday DD blew them (HV and student) away
She took the blocks and was saying I want a purple one here and a green one here....
She initially dismissed the first book shown to her as a "baby book" but proceeded to name all the objects with colours, saying she saw the lion at the safari park and related other objects to experiences.
She continued to easily excel at all of the tasks set to the point where the comment was made that she would be scoring highly if she was three

After the hours wait preceding the appointment, true to her official two year old status, she did get bored with the whole thing and towards the end lay down on the floor and said "I'm going to have a strop" and did! This had everyone in stitches.

Proud daddy moment over.

The HV said that she was exceptionally bright and that we had to watch that she didn’t get bored at nursery, and later, school. She mentioned that there were ways in which we could get extra help from the school that she will attend does anyone know how this would be obtained.

I am worried as I was very similar as a child and had a nightmare time as I was forever bored and consequently caused trouble all the time to keep myself amused.

I really want to keep the spark alive in her that everyone did their best to beat out of me.

OP posts:

Piffle · 25/05/2006 10:05

Take her everywhere and show her everything :)
She's only two let her experience things as any child would do asking her own questions and exploring.
2 is very young to attach that label of expectation to a child. My ds was a very advanced toddler by the books but to me he was just my little lad.
Good luck, you'll need it, they work the parenting ass of you!

Original poster

CarlK · 25/05/2006 10:11

That's what we do, we've always tried to include her in our lives as much as possible rather than not do things because we had a baby IYSWIM.

Dont want to hothouse her either.....

OP posts:

dinosaure · 25/05/2006 10:22

I agree with Piffle, talk to her a lot, give her the opportunity to do lots and lots of different things and go to lots and lots of different places, encourage her to look at books, play board games, do puzzles, etc. My DS2 was like your DD when he was two.

If you really think that boredom is likely to be a factor then you could (very gently) start trying to help her do more of the things that she doesn't naturally excel at - there will be some! For example, my DS2 is absolutely rubbish at art and craft type things.

bluejelly · 25/05/2006 10:23

Just enjoy her. No need to stretch.

singersgirl · 25/05/2006 10:36

We had a similar experience at both DSs' 2 year checks, being told the test was too easy and they could do the 3 year stuff. They are bright, normal children, and they find lots of ways of interesting themselves every day. I would just do what you are doing - go where she leads and don't worry in advance about boredom. It may be an issue, it may not, but you should just enjoy your time now.

Marina · 25/05/2006 10:42

Agree with the others here - talk to her, tell her stuff, ask her questions, encourage her to make connections between things she sees and experiences. Just have fun with her, like it sounds you are doing now.
If she was that zippy and engaged at her two year check CarlK, you honestly don't need to worry about her being bored :)

giddy1 · 25/05/2006 10:48

What a lovely little girl to let you know she is going to have a strop
It sounds like you are doing everything to help stimulate her eager brain already .
You will have a far better idea of her capabilities than anyone else and won't let things slip by the sound of it.

Can I just ask from a personal point of view regarding her speech and cognition...has she been as advanced with skills centering on mobility i.e walking,climbing and co-ordination etc ?
I ask because I have been told that the reason why my baby seems to be delayed in her mobility is because she is so advanced in her soundmaking and speech. I was told it is because I am compensating for the lack of communication from my older daughter and sitting talking to and "educating" the baby. This apparently prevents her from going off and getting mobile. It is a slightly touchy subject for me because her sister has very severe disabilities so I see all progress as fantastic
I personally love to hear parents getting excited about their childrens strengths.

themoon66 · 25/05/2006 10:52

Hi CarlK... I think she will be just fine. My DS whizzed through primary school, being given extra work to do by his teacher to stop him being bored.

Secondary school is where the trouble starts. He refused to go to grammar school and be split up from his 2 friends. So off he went to the local comp which is not a bad school. He has now started GSCEs and has lost the will to do anything school related. He won't revise for tests, he won't do his homework. He is just cruising, knowing he can scrape passes by doing nothing. There is no incentive to work and get 100%. He is so quiet.... teachers say he is in his own world.

When I ask him how he feels, he says school is boring and only the 'thugs and bullies' get extra attention from teaching staff. Kids who behave and work all year get ignored, but naughty kids only have to put in one hour of good behaviour and get all kinds of treats!!

Sorry about the rant (I could go on more), but this is one subject that really winds me up!

batters · 25/05/2006 11:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fauve · 25/05/2006 11:31

Best tip I had was to provide endless supplies of different kinds of crayons and things to draw on (different colours/textures etc) - there are more varieties than you think. My dd still loves to be given one of those sets of crayons/paints/fibre tip pens etc. Loads of that kind of thing are sold in LIDL!

Also, any kind of music class or just listening to stuff - any stuff - is good.

WigWamBam · 25/05/2006 11:38

Carry on doing what you're doing, Carl, because it's obviously working! Take her everywhere, talk to her, show her things, give her plenty of scope to exercise her imagination. Don't worry about nursery and school just yet; for the first couple of years it's mainly play-based so even if she's not stretched work-wise, there will always be plenty to keep her occupied. Once she starts school, keep in contact with the teachers and if she starts getting bored address it with the teachers. Dd is getting Year 2 work at the moment because she's finding a lot of Reception work too simple for her - her teachers are happy to address this and work with her in the areas that she's ahead in. It seems to me that there is more scope for this in Primary than in Junior or Secondary so she should be OK for a few years yet!

She's delightful - just enjoy her and keep involving her and she'll do really well.

mummyofeb · 25/05/2006 18:58

Sounds as if you're doing all the right things already CK. I've got two books on creative activities and parenting tips "150 ways to become super mum" (Susan Dazzo) and "1000 top tips for mums and dads" (Peggy Vance) which have lots of nice ideas for entertaining children. My little ds at 16 months is too young for a lot of these activities though but there may be some that are just right for your dd?

Adorabelle · 25/05/2006 19:36

Hi CarlK, we too have a very bright 2 yr old &
find that she can get bored v.easily. We've just
discovered "Story Sacks". Go to e-bay type Story
Sack under toys, we find them a life saver when she needs "stimulating".

Original poster

CarlK · 31/05/2006 08:38

Apologies for disappearing thanks for your replies folks.
giddy although she initially seemed reluctant to walk initially she was up and off within a week when she decided it was to her advantage and now has a fearless attitude to climbing anything she can get on, she nearly gives us heart attacks sometimes.
Themoon66 that sound just like me at schoolwhy bother when youll pass anyway.I wish i had some wisdom to pass on after my experiences but I dont, all I know is I turned out ok..

I do take the points made about relaxing about it now. I guess we are all fired up because we are planning which school ATM.
I know,I know, it sounds mad to me too, but if we dont get moved house then its failing schools all around us, or private and the Bluecoat starts taking them into preschool at 3 ie this september, others earlier.
I will check out the books and story sacks.

Thanks again folks

OP posts:

piccolamamma · 06/06/2006 23:57

lots of extra curricular activities
a great school suited to gifted kids
helping the child learn to occupy themselves at school if they get bored e.g. reading ahead, doing extra questions, writing a poem for daddy rather than telling the teacher they already knew that (ahem blush)
learning that helping/socialising with other kids/people less bright can be fun/is important too

will ask my ma' for some tips she's an ealry years person

good luck

PaddingtonBearLondon · 18/05/2011 23:48

How did it work out Carl?

lovecheese · 19/05/2011 09:21

CarlK, sorry to put a damper on things, but you have what sounds to be a typical little girl and mumsnet is awash with parents worried that their children are going to go to school and be bored because, apparently, they will know everything already. So she ordered the blocks and described things in a book, all lovely, but I think it would be naive to assume you have a genius on your hands on the back of that.

EyeOfNewtToeOfFrog · 19/05/2011 14:10

Ummm, this thread is from May 2006.... is Carl still here...? LOL!

lovecheese · 19/05/2011 14:27

Oooh, you're right Newt, hadn't noticed the date!

Yes, Carl, how DID it all work out???

lovecheese · 19/05/2011 14:29

Just worked out that Carl's DD will be doing year 2 SATs at the mo, like my DD.

geraldinetheluckygoat · 19/05/2011 14:36

ah. years old thread! I wondered why it took so long for someone to come on and either tell Carl that actually, his bright toddler was just very very normal, or that their child could do all of that and now they are ten and very average...
I hope she DID turn out to be super clever!

alienbump · 19/05/2011 14:54

Blimey, thought Carl was back posting for a minute then... Now that would have been today's entertainment sorted!

Flip