Anonymous wrote:This is a serious question, not meant as snark: how do so many people know their children’s IQs? I grew up with lots of smart, bright kids who have done well for themselves professionally but only one kid that I know, who was uniquely and incredibly gifted, was ever tested. Is it more common to test now? At what age are kids getting tested?

Testing for admission to advanced school programs

We are all smarter than the others in something. We are generally smart in math and sciences. Two are engineers, one is a mathematician (with biology and physics interests) and one is a statistician. We are all late bloomers socially. We are various levels of introverts. Geeks, nerds, dweebs, whatever you call it, we are them.

If your kid is being evaluated for being on the autistic spectrum, there's often an IQ test as part of the process. If you're appealing AAP decisions on the basis of an IQ test, then you know that as well.

This is a serious question, not meant as snark: how do so many people know their children’s IQs? I grew up with lots of smart, bright kids who have done well for themselves professionally but only one kid that I know, who was uniquely and incredibly gifted, was ever tested. Is it more common to test now? At what age are kids getting tested?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So every kid here is extremely bright and well above average? Hate to break it to you guys but that statistically isn't possible.

You’re assuming responses from a random sample.

Yeah, and people on this website are generally above average. We are in a bit of a bubble so we don’t always remember that there are people who are very not smart.

And this is evidence that intelligence isn’t all its cracked up to be because some of the posters on here say some wild shit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are probably of average intelligence, but in spite of this we are happy and productive. We’ve never had an IQ test, and i find it strange that so many people know their IQs. We have very successful careers and personal lives because we work hard, remain flexible, and foster positive relationships. We hope to raise our (probably average) kids to do the same.

Spouse and I both went to private schools (in different parts of the country) and IQ testing was a component of admissions testing in our cases. I happen to remember mine and my MIL still brags about DH’s 🙃.

+1. Private school tested IQ but wasn’t supposed to tell the kids. My mom volunteered in the office and found out our IQs. Then I tested twice again as a favor to two friends in graduate school as an adult. My I Q on all three tests was identical. 142.

As far tests indicate, everyone is in the 99th percentile between 3 parents and 3 kids

I am above average (130-140) and I think DH is far above average, probably 150, but socially awkward.

DD1 is I think like me, very sharp, but not VERY smart, and very socially adept/empathetic.

DS is very smart, I think as smart as his dad, but without the social weirdness. He's kind and open and chatty.

DD2 is too little to tell, but is clearly not going to be dumb, she's 18 months old and has tons of words, figures stuff out etc, smart for a toddler but she's not doing math or anything preternaturally smart.

Anonymous wrote:Wow we really do live in Lake Woebegone, only all the parents are also above average!

More like only the above average parents are responding to a thread about intelligence.

DH and I were both hardworking children of immigrants. DH and I are both very good test takers and Ivy educated.

Our 3 children are smart but not as hard working and motivated as their parents.

The 2 older kids tested in AAP and scored 143 and 141 on their Cogat test. The youngest seems to be the brightest of the 3.

My kids are both solidly average (IQ 100 - tested for learning disabilities). I am average, I assume, and DH’s IQ is extremely high, but he has little life skills.

Wow we really do live in Lake Woebegone, only all the parents are also above average!

My three kids have wildly different IQs. I didn’t realize that was so abnormal. DH and I do not know our IQs but have advanced degrees.

9 yo DS - 112 (tested for AAP admission, obviously didn’t submit test!)

14 yo DD- 152 on most recent test (has been tested many times, in special ed for ASD.

12 yo DS-123 (Testing to rule out ASD)

Intelligence is solidly heritable. At least 50%, possibly up to 80%. Height, by contrast, is around 90%.

I'm 3SD bright - 145 or so. Spouse has reasonable smarts. 115/1SD?

Oldest child is between us in the 125 -130 range. Middle child 115, at a guess, but has a big gap between verbal and non-verbal abilities. Third just finished kindergarten but (proud parent!) shows signs of being extremely intelligent; maybe 140.

PP here. Just to clarify, my husband is a brilliant thinker. It’s one thing to be excellent at math, but he can think/reason/understand/assess/evaluate better than anyone I know. It’s wonderful being his wife as we have the best conversations.