When did you realize your child was average?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd estimate that about 95% of parents (of my high school students) believe their children are above average.

So for many parents, the answer is never.

My husband and I used to joke about the fact that at kindergarten orientation the principle and teachers get up and talk and then they say, "Does anyone have any questions?" and a bunch of moms and some dads stand up and ask about "your gifted facilities" and "How do you stimulate a child who might be bored in class because they're just so VERY, VERY bright?" and non one ever stands up and says "What would you do if my child still isn't reading in second grade or third?" or "How do you diagnose learning disabilities and what's the process for that?" FUnny how everyone's kindergartener is gifted. When you have open house for high school, there are fewer of the 'oh my child is so very very bright' questions and the people who do stand up and ask them often get labelled as wackadoodles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know who linked language acquisition with intelligence. I talked late, but I started talking in full grammatically correct sentences. As an adult, I learn foreign languages easier than most. At the same time, I can only do basic middle school math and struggle with any type of analysis. As a high school junior, I failed miserably in Physics and Chemistry.

DH is a science genius who can barely spell and will never ever learn to speak a foreign language. Literally, explaining why his "no habla Espanol" should be "no hablo Espanol" is completely useless.

Your child will be good at something and bad at something else. So all this talk about "average" makes little sense to me. Do you mean you realize your child is not a prodigy of some sort? Won't finish school and go to Harvard at the age of 12? Who wants that, seriously?

I’m actually one of those prodigies who went to college at age 14 and all of this is true.

I didn’t exhibit anything exceptional as a young child and

I have dealt with anxiety and depression (at times severe) in my life.

Even if my kids are brilliant I won’t send them to college early.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know who linked language acquisition with intelligence. I talked late, but I started talking in full grammatically correct sentences. As an adult, I learn foreign languages easier than most. At the same time, I can only do basic middle school math and struggle with any type of analysis. As a high school junior, I failed miserably in Physics and Chemistry.

DH is a science genius who can barely spell and will never ever learn to speak a foreign language. Literally, explaining why his "no habla Espanol" should be "no hablo Espanol" is completely useless.

Your child will be good at something and bad at something else. So all this talk about "average" makes little sense to me. Do you mean you realize your child is not a prodigy of some sort? Won't finish school and go to Harvard at the age of 12? Who wants that, seriously?

I’m actually one of those prodigies who went to college at age 14 and all of this is true.

I didn’t exhibit anything exceptional as a young child and

I have dealt with anxiety and depression (at times severe) in my life.

Even if my kids are brilliant I won’t send them to college early.

Nothing exceptional as a child at all? Arguably attending college at 14 would be considered exceptional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know who linked language acquisition with intelligence. I talked late, but I started talking in full grammatically correct sentences. As an adult, I learn foreign languages easier than most. At the same time, I can only do basic middle school math and struggle with any type of analysis. As a high school junior, I failed miserably in Physics and Chemistry.

DH is a science genius who can barely spell and will never ever learn to speak a foreign language. Literally, explaining why his "no habla Espanol" should be "no hablo Espanol" is completely useless.

Your child will be good at something and bad at something else. So all this talk about "average" makes little sense to me. Do you mean you realize your child is not a prodigy of some sort? Won't finish school and go to Harvard at the age of 12? Who wants that, seriously?

I’m actually one of those prodigies who went to college at age 14 and all of this is true.

I didn’t exhibit anything exceptional as a young child and

I have dealt with anxiety and depression (at times severe) in my life.

Even if my kids are brilliant I won’t send them to college early.

Nothing exceptional as a child at all? Arguably attending college at 14 would be considered exceptional.

From what my parents said, nothing extraordinary when I was little. They started to realize I was smart around 5-6, didn’t realize how exceptional until I took the ACT at 8/9.

[Anonymous]

I always thought my 5 year old was slightly delayed to average. He appeared developmentally delayed as a toddler.

His pediatrician as a baby told me he was "retarded" (old white lady) and we switched pediatricians. Somehow i never worried about him. I just instinctively felt he was okay.

At around 3 i realized he wasn't delayed, just intensely perfectionist and hesitant.

Now he's 6 and tremendously inquisitive and academic and definitely on the upper end for kids his age. Not reading, but recently figured out multiplication in his head independently and loves learning. Quiet but socially normal.

Kids change and your average kid may yet surprise you. I can't wait to see what this kid develops into !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always thought my 5 year old was slightly delayed to average. He appeared developmentally delayed as a toddler.

His pediatrician as a baby told me he was "retarded" (old white lady) and we switched pediatricians. Somehow i never worried about him. I just instinctively felt he was okay.

At around 3 i realized he wasn't delayed, just intensely perfectionist and hesitant.

Now he's 6 and tremendously inquisitive and academic and definitely on the upper end for kids his age. Not reading, but recently figured out multiplication in his head independently and loves learning. Quiet but socially normal.

Kids change and your average kid may yet surprise you. I can't wait to see what this kid develops into !

pp - his dad didn't read until 7 and ended up at a top 3 law school so I'm not super worried about it.

[Anonymous]

You don’t know until they are older. Plus average kids with the right guidance can become well above average.

My children were pretty average in the early years. No early talkers or readers, very average.

But now at 9 and 10 they score >95th percentile in all subjects on national standardized tests. We work with them daily on enrichment work and fostered a love for reading and musical instruments.