Younger sibling hitting milestones faster than older?

[Anonymous]

It's a few things. Sometimes the first is babied in some areas and "lags" behind.

Sometimes the second learns from the older sibling.

There's also a wide range of normal and different kids do things at different times.

Some kids are uniquely highly intelligent and it reveals itself at an early stage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 18 month old is hitting her milestones waaaay earlier than my 5.5 y.o. did. For example, she can already sound out some letters and scribbles circles and lines intentionally. Her fine motor skills are almost on par with his (she can do 48 piece puzzles and put together Legos, although taking then apart is too hard). My 5 y.o. reads well and is starting to write, in other words I don't think he's slow.

Is this normal? Do younger siblings typically learn things faster? She does imitate him a lot and he adores her.

DCUM will laugh, but she sounds gifted. Five year old sounds average.

FWIW my three year old is in OT and PT and has had a very difficult time developing fine and gross motor skills. DD2 is 20 months and jumps on the trampoline like a pro, holds a pencil correctly, etc. Some kids just develop faster than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Difference is at least In part due to the difference between boys and girls.

It's this, 100%. I though my DD was completely brilliant and a genius because of how much earlier she did everything than her older brother. I mean, she is brilliant and wonderful--but in her own way and not a super genius after all. Just not a boy--with executive functioning disfunction to boot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Difference is at least In part due to the difference between boys and girls.

It's this, 100%. I though my DD was completely brilliant and a genius because of how much earlier she did everything than her older brother. I mean, she is brilliant and wonderful--but in her own way and not a super genius after all. Just not a boy--with executive functioning disfunction to boot.

There’s a great psych study that shows how children are treated differently from the moment they’re born. The researchers dressed babies as boys or girls (blue or pink). For the “girls” the participants said the baby clearly loved being talked to and they carried the babies around talking to them a lot and making a lot of facial expressions, helped them do patticake etc. for the “boys” the participants said they were clearly wanting to move, they bounced them around, rolled balls to them, and generally much more physical and less talkative with them.

When girl / boys are socialized differently from day one of course different skills will develop first and better, even if they weren’t born that way

[Anonymous]

My oldest started speaking at 8 months, my youngest at 14. My youngest started reading at 4, my oldest at 6. It was just about what they were interested in!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My newly 4yr old thinks he is in 1st grade just like his brother due to remote school. He is picking up a lot!

My kids are like this too. Our PK3er was so obsessed by watching our Ker do Lexia that we got it for him as a present! Now he’s all the way up to Level 9 and our Ker is only on 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Difference is at least In part due to the difference between boys and girls.

It's this, 100%. I though my DD was completely brilliant and a genius because of how much earlier she did everything than her older brother. I mean, she is brilliant and wonderful--but in her own way and not a super genius after all. Just not a boy--with executive functioning disfunction to boot.

There’s a great psych study that shows how children are treated differently from the moment they’re born. The researchers dressed babies as boys or girls (blue or pink). For the “girls” the participants said the baby clearly loved being talked to and they carried the babies around talking to them a lot and making a lot of facial expressions, helped them do patticake etc. for the “boys” the participants said they were clearly wanting to move, they bounced them around, rolled balls to them, and generally much more physical and less talkative with them.

When girl / boys are socialized differently from day one of course different skills will develop first and better, even if they weren’t born that way

OP here ,I totally agree with this but have definitely (both consciously and due to being busier) not treated her to more attention. I used to narrate and read To DS constantly. Now with the pandemic, we have zero childcare and an extra kid, and as a result she gets maaaybe 50% of the attention her brother did. She does observe him very carefully and wants to try everything he does, and he encourages her, so i do think she is learning a lot from him.