Every child comes into life with the same wonder, awe, spontaneity, vitality, flexibility, and many other characteristics of a joyous being. This clearly suggests that every child is a born genius. Then how is it that we set apart one baby from another as more perceptive and intelligent? American author and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller said, “All children are born geniuses, and we spend the first six years of their lives degeniusing them.” Dr Thomas Armstrong writes in one of his articles that genius qualities in children are in fact stifled by strong forces working at home, in schools and within the broader culture. Hence, it is very important that parents realize that recognizing and preserving their child’s genius from the very onset is a task of great magnitude; and at the same time, they must also understand that to be a genius their child does not necessarily have to paint like Picasso or play music like Beethoven because truth remains that each child is indeed different from another, and though born with all the same characteristics of a joyous being, and gifted with a number of skills, they may boast different proficiency levels. For this reason, it is vital that parents be familiar with the different kinds of developmental skills their babies are born with; this in turn will help them gauge their children’s unique talents.
Signs of a genius baby
· Words show wisdom
Early language development is one of the signs to look for in order to establish that you have an advanced baby. A gifted baby may begin talking as early as 6 months and it wouldn’t be outside the realm of normal for her to be able to speak two word sentences by the age of 7 to 8 months.
· Signs of super skills
Advanced motor skills may include gripping objects not by reflex but by intention, drawing recognizable letters and shapes in toddlerhood and advanced eye-hand coordination, for example, holding an object in one hand while looking for another with the other hand, putting the peg in the hole according to shape or colour, using a computer mouse correctly etc.
· Focused interest
A baby with a high level of intelligence will demonstrate lengthy attention span if zeroed in on an object or process of interest. At the same time, it is important to mention that a gifted baby may show tendencies of getting bored rather quickly
· Light sleepers
A gifted baby will sleep fewer hours than an average infant. This sign, though considered worrisome by some parents, is in truth quite normal for an advanced baby.
· Great observation skills
Exceptional babies are excellent at making connections. They absorb information quickly and retain it in their minds only to apply it in a different situation.
· Problem solvers
A gifted child will come up with creative ways to tackle challenges and would be engaged in doing so till she acquires the desired result.
While this is not an exhaustive list, gifted babies show signs of their advanced nature at a very young age. It is imperative to mention that if a baby demonstrates signs of genius, she would need suitable tactics to develop and enhance her special talents. Hence, early identification is means for proper development. If parents suspect giftedness in their children, they must consult an educational specialist with a background in gifted education for a thorough assessment.
Submitted on: 31/12/2010 02:51:53