What was your gifted child like as a baby?

[Peridotty]

Hi! What could your gifted children do when they were a baby? I read that a sign of gifted ness is a first word before 9months. Is that the best sign?
My baby is 8 months old. Pretty advanced in her motor skills I would say compared to others that I know (rolling from 3 months, sitting independently at 5 months, crawling and pulling to stand at 6/7 months, standing independently at 7 months). However she has no interest in books, she just gets grumpy when I put a book in front of her, all she wants to do is crawl and pull up to stand!!! She doesn’t make many speech sounds although she makes lots of vowel sounds in general. Only just started making ‘ge ge ge’ sounds at 8 months when she is whining. No Ms or Bs yet. She doesn’t look like she pays attention when we are speaking. Doesn’t try to imitate our speech or mouths.
So i was wondering what did your babies do? And is my baby basically not gifted haha.

My DC are all bright, and I would possibly describe DC1 as gifted (the headteacher of his primary school said that in her 40-year teaching career she'd only come across 2 or 3 kids as bright as him).

His speech wasn't particularly early and he definitely didn't have any recognisable words at 9 months.

Walked at 16 months, first words not until 22 months but started out with complex words (skipped mummy and daddy, went straight to naming historical figures) from that point in approriate context and talking in phrases from then. Didn't even really babble before then, was getting concerned to be honest. Taught themselves to read by 3, was on Tolkien 5, CATs over 135. Just enjoy your baby and see how they develop. Being gifted has downsides too, it isn't all playing chess and Mozart.

Sure. Just wondering if your 8m old baby is a genius, like we all do...

@Ohalrightthen not sure if you were being sarcastic or not but yes, wondering if my baby is a genius like we all do
It’s only a bit of curiosity!

DS2 shocked the Health Visitor with his sentences at 13 months. She was also worried about how little he weighed, but as he was walking and talking like an older child she didn't know quite what to make of him. He's a very, very average lad now he's nearly an adult. He's great at some things, rubbish at others, like most people.

I don’t actually KNOW any gifted children so I don’t know what it is like to have one! They’re pretty rare right?
@Cattitudes wow Tolkien at 5!! That’s amazing.

You bought 75 board books?

DD was talking fluently by the age of 1.
Didn't walk until 3.

She is gifted. But she can't run for a million pounds. She is doing A Level maths at 13.
Does it really matter, she has gifts and weaknesses.

My dd was an early talker. She could say Nana, Dada, car car, cat and no by just over 6 months. She could also make a real jigsaw puzzle with 6 pieces. Not a play tray but a proper little jigsaw puzzle. The HV got really excited when she saw her do it. She walked later, not until a year. could read by 4 but probably only because I taught her. She was reading Heidi when she started school with s reading age of 8 1/2. She knew all her times tables by 6 years. She had really good fine motor control and could write neatly by 5. She loved school and got a full scholarship to a good independent school at 11. My first son was late to do things. He did not sit up until about 8 months. He was slow to talk and slept a lot. He had to have speech therapy. There was 18 months between 1st and 2nd child in age but about 4 years in development. Second son walked at 9 months, was running by 10 months, but average for everything else. They have all grown up into adults I am proud of, none smoke, all kind and work hard. All got to where they want to be in the end. Matters not a jot if they are gifted or not.

My daughter said her first word (also duck!) at 9 months and was talking in complex sentences by 18 months. She’s 6 now, quite bright but I wouldn’t say gifted. She does however never stop talking.

Gifted doesn't equal to successful. There are a lot of people who aren't gifted but are hard working and determined and get somewhere and work to achieve it.

How can a baby be 'gifted' ?

My son was late to walk and talk, but knew all the world leaders from watching the news at about three and read avidly from an early pre school age. He ended up with a phd in mechanical engineering and works as an advanced research scientist. As a baby I was worried he was slow. 😯
As others have said, just enjoy your daughter, they are all special whether 'gifted' or not.

My eldest said the name of one of our cats regularly at 8 months old. He’s now 22 and unable to function on any normal level as he has a gaming addiction which has taken over his life. He has a girlfriend and a flat, and he’s lucky he has that.

Why are you worrying about this? Just go with the flow. Come back when she's in school if there's a problem with her being occupied enough at that point.

@Throughabushbackwards yes I did there was a book sale on and I couldn’t resist. My husband said ‘please don’t buy any more board books this year!’
@caringcarer wow that’s amazing. I don’t have a jigsaw puzzle toy and don’t think my baby would be interested at all.

So how do babies speak before 1? Just talk to them loads? What’s loads? I run out of things to say. I’m a quiet person. Do you talk loudly and slowly?

Just because a baby physically.does some things "earlier" than normal.most certainly does not mean they are gifted. You've rushed out and bought her all.these books based on earlier than typical physical development. She's normal. Chill out.

Everyone thinks their kids are more capable than average. That's a complete failure to understand the word 'average'.

@OhYouBadBadKitten I’m not worried. Just curious if it’s true that gifted kids show their abilities early on or not (before 9 months).

My son is an adult now and was/is considered gifted. He was late to walk at eighteen months, he sat at eight months but he talked early. He would say ta for a biscuit at six months, he was in hospital at eight months and was a sideshow for the doctors and nurses as he was able to say many words and could link words so "Mama gone" "Get down" "Let's go" and by fifteen months he could speak fluently.
I did nothing special to encourage him, in fact compared to mums nowadays I'd say I was pretty lazy at encouraging his development. I read to him every day, he had the usual toys and watched lots of TV but thirty odd years ago babies seemed to just fit around your life and they picked stuff up rather than being specifically taught skills I think.

I've found they tend to do one or other, talk or walk. Both my babies could walk at 8 months, and jump with both feet off the ground at 9 months, running fast by 10 months. Quite mad looking back at the videos!

However, both were still basically grunting bar a few words at 3 and didn't talk fluently until 4. They are both all rounders now which is exactly what I hoped for them.

Enjoy your baby and don't worry about them being a genius. It's not always an easy life, being gifted.

She's a baby, lots of people think their kids are advanced and they turn out normal. Or behind and they end up with PhDs. You can't predict it at 8mo

I was classed as 'gifted' (and have two degrees) and until the age of 5 everyone thought I was a dozy sod and 'away with the fairies'.

@YouJustDoYou nooo I didn’t rush out to buy them cos I thought she was super smart. I already said above that I don’t think physical abilities = intelligence. I bought them to have more variety of books for bedtime AND there was a book sale on.

I was a gifted child. It hasn't helped me in life whatsoever. If anything it (or maybe the way it was handled by the adults around me) has just turned me into an anxious adult with various hang ups that have actually held me back in many ways.

Be careful what you wish for. Much better that your child is healthy, confident, well-rounded etc. These are all much more likely to result in success and happiness in later life than childhood "giftedness" is.

My children were slow to do everything, walk, talk, milestones were always on the late side, ds1 didn't have sentences till almost 3. Both are in top sets for all subjects at school but especially gifted at maths. Your child will be who they are, just be supportive and nurturing.

My son spoken in sentences at 12 months. National Academy of Gifted & Talented Youth member (or whatever it was). My husband could only say ‘Broke me leg’ until the age of 3 1/2 (he’s never broken his leg). Both have exceptionally high IQs. So does our daughter, and she was pretty much average on all milestones before nursery.

Don’t read too much into it. Stimulate you child, keep them warm, fed & loved. Fill your house with books, read to them, encourage debate. Even when small. Enjoy your time with them. Even my high IQ, talented, exceptional kids still had ways of being utter sods too. Gifted does not equal perfect 😂