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___WEDNESDAY___CH 4___UPDATE___"CHILD GENIUS"___UPDATE___CH 4___

551 replies

RTKangaMummy · 13/04/2008 21:44

WEDNESDAY

CHANNEL 4

AN UPDATE ON THE CHILDREN FROM LAST YEAR

x x x

Documentary
Child Genius Wednesday 16 April
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4
1/2
The subtitle of this series about megabrained children is "young and gifted", but by the end you half-wonder if it should be "young and cursed". We're catching up with kids we met in the last series - chess champ Peter (11), who wears a "genius in training" T-shirt, Adam (eight), who dissects rats in the kitchen, and Mikhail (five), who as Britain's youngest Mensa member has appeared on Oprah and Countdown. We also meet Georgia, who toppled Mikhail as Britain's youngest Mensa member. At two, she was measured with an IQ of 152 - impressive given that, being a toddler, she fell asleep halfway through the test. Her mother notes that "a lot of the pictures we take of Georgia have this white light around her . . ." That's the thing: inevitably, parents become caught up in making their gifted children into mini-celebrities, especially when TV crews get involved. It makes for fascinating TV; whether it's great for the pressure-cooker kids is another matter.

x x x

OP posts:
HairyToe · 17/04/2008 14:40

The old 11plus tests were along the same lines as the Mensa tests (naming the next symbol in a sequence etc.) and I remember being 'trained' for doing them when I was in Primary school. I don't have any expert knowledge on the subject but am a bit skepical about judging anyone's intelligence or talent on this basis. I feel there are many types of intelligence, many 'gifts' and 'talents' and the best way for anyone to identify these is to try our lots of things and find out what you enjoy and what you are good at. Especially children.

My four pence worth.

HairyToe · 17/04/2008 14:42

I also was very unimpressed by Georgia's mum opening the letter in front of her and the subsequent reactions. Poor little poppet. The little girl came across as pretty sweet and normal in the circumstances - not sure how long she'll mamage to stay like that in the face of her Mother's clear belief that she's some kind of 'special being', white aura and all.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 17/04/2008 14:57

Oh god yes, the aura.

Actually, now I come to think about it, entertaining as this programme was it is a huge pity it was such a freak show. Most parents of gifted children aren't like this. But then, most probably had the sense not to take part in this programme....

meglet · 17/04/2008 16:12

DP "thats not an aura, she just crap at taking photo's"

constancereader · 17/04/2008 16:26

I though Georgia's siblings seemed much more sensible than her mother. The one doing the filming told the mother not to cry when she opened the letter, and the brother was VERY ambivalent about the media interest. He verged on criticising the mother there.

Coppertop, I thought it was probably MN when I saw her reading comments on the internet.

As for the fab house with NO taste, well - Expat said it all really.

hippipotami · 17/04/2008 16:32

It did not look much like MN. Also, have we ever heard of Georgia Brown before? Have we had a thread about her recently? That will give a clue as to weather she could have been looking at MN.

PMLS at 'that is not an aura she just takes crap photos'

llareggub · 17/04/2008 17:45

I thought the site looked like alphamummy on The Times website.

Parents all bonkers.

KerryMum · 17/04/2008 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Clary · 17/04/2008 22:57

yes I also thought Georgia's siblings were pretty sensible and level-headed about it.

I agree with others, am sure my children knew their shapes at 3yo, could point to odd one out etc.

I was very about that IQ test tbh. she seemed like a nice little girl and very chatty, but then so are plenty of young children...

avenanap · 17/04/2008 23:50

ds could do the shape, letter, number thing at 14 months, was reading at 3 and a half, does that give him a 170 IQ? Would you really want to now?
Poor kids. Parental expectation can be so damaging. The letter from the LEA had definetly been opened. It was very convenient that she had a camera crew there the same day and time as the postman came. I cringed when chess kid was reading his letter to the MP out, that was painful to hear. So obnoxious, I can't believe the parents let him send it. As to those two boys, she only decided to get the younger tested because she needed another project. I watched the first programme, she said the younger one was ignored so that she could teach the older one. I'm not surprised he's got no confidence. She'll be packing him off next.

PortAndLemon · 18/04/2008 09:35

There have been a couple of threads on Georgia, hippipotami -- nearly every time her "we're not pushing her, I've only done any of this to get her into the right school" mother engineers another story in the national press.

MrsWeasley · 18/04/2008 10:24

I felt sorry for the younger son when the older boy left because you just knew mum would be "bored" and start on him! If they both go away to school what will she do next?

If she joins MN and a thread appears "my boys have gone to school, the house is a mess but I am havent a clue where to start." OR "dh and I want a little girl but how can I guarantee she will be a bright one?" Remember to be kind and supportive

hippipotami · 18/04/2008 10:59

Oh okay PortandLemon, I had not come across those before, and I have been on MN for nearly two years....(under different names)

coppertop · 18/04/2008 11:07

Here's one of the threads, Hippipotami:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1372&threadid=344036#6991935

I think they all had pretty much the same response.

hippipotami · 18/04/2008 11:09

thank you, will have a read. Will grab a cuppa first...

coppertop · 18/04/2008 11:20

Here's a longer one:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=2408&threadid=343787#6985771

MrsMattie · 18/04/2008 11:36

Oh God yes, the aura!!! She's one of those Indigo / Crystal children loons I BET you.

luminarphrases · 18/04/2008 11:39

as the people on the original g and t thread said, im amazed that the educational psychologist or whatever she was thought children didn't learn colours until school- i don't think any of dd's friends can't do colours at the age of 2-3.

FluffyMummy123 · 18/04/2008 16:15

Message withdrawn

FluffyMummy123 · 18/04/2008 16:15

Message withdrawn

misdee · 18/04/2008 16:43

is this going to be repeated at all?

controlfreakyagain · 18/04/2008 17:10

what, us slagging the parents off? i expect so....

lilolilmanchester · 18/04/2008 18:58

wonder if any of the parents are MNetters???

llareggub · 18/04/2008 20:01

I would bet my next tub of Haagen Daaz that the Scottish mother of two is a mumsnetter.

HairyToe · 18/04/2008 21:22

As the other thread mentioned your child being treated as a genius doesn't always lead to a happy ever after ending

Sufiah Yusof's recent change of career for instance?

Also DH knew a girl at school who was always revered as a child prodigy and went off to Uni early etc. - she's barking having some difficulties dealing with life now