He/She's been here before.

[gillybeanz]

I just wondered if anybody else has had this said about their child.
It means wise beyond years, understanding at a deeper level etc, so I believe.
It might just be a geographical thing, but ime people say this when a child shows a talent, gift, difference, etc.

Old-fashioned saying, have read it more often than I've heard it. Ime usually when a child has advanced verbal skills at an early age. Has a nicer ring than "precocious" anyway.

I've had it said about my youngest, although I don't really like it I do understand what they mean.

yes. When dd and ds1 were born, both midwives said Oh He/she has been here before. They are fifteen and nine now, and I still wonder what they meant.

Aw, that's an interesting take "precocious"

Maybe it could also mean a brightness, alertness, aura, or something like that, hence applying the term to a new born.

The midwives said this about my daughter, who was really alert with good eye contact from the start. They meant that she seemed to have knowledge/ understanding of the world that could only be gained through experience, which as a newborn she obviously could not have.
It's interesting that precocious sound pejorative , or is generally used that way.

People used to say this about DD when she was little. From the start she was a very alert baby who watched everything, and had a very thoughtful expression. She spoke early and well, and probably was a little bit precocious as a toddler.

Unfortunately she isn't gifted or particularly talented at age 9, but she certainly has a usual/ different quality about her. She was diagnosed with ASD 2 years ago.