When they start school early. I am not talking about pre-school. My great-nephew was in school before his first birthday. While he is very smart for his age. He is developing some bad habits at an age too early for it.
Last night, my sister who is one of his teachers at school was telling me how amazed she is with how sneaky and conniving he is(her words not mine). She said the other day he kept calling a bigger boy over pretending like he wanted to show him something. When the boy finally came over, my nephew snatch his toy and ran to the other side of the playground and then stopped to look back.
The better boy came over and beat him up and took the toy back. She says, it he wants a toy that another child has, he will go get another toy, and take that one to the child and try to get him interested in the new toy, so he can take the one that the child is already playing with.
She said, when he is not in her class, he will sneak over to her room and peak until he thinks that she is not looking, then he will start calling the other kids out of her class and telling them to come on. She says that she watches him out of the corner of her eye. All this and he will not be two years old until March 26th.
I talked to him on the phone the other day and he sounded so loud and clear. When He got off the phone I could hear him saying, moneeeeey, moneeeey, moneeeey. My sister said that he was sticking his hand in her pocket and then pulling it out and yelling moneeeeey, but there was nothing in his hand. Well, he sure knows where it comes from.
Now, I am not yet a mother. But my sister is the mother of a twenty year old and triplets. She is also a teacher for toddlers, so if she says this little one is doing to much for his age, I believe her. His mother started when she was two and she is just brilliantly smart. But all through grade school, she just kept messing up and getting in trouble. Her mother never allowed her to skip a grade and I think that she just got real bored and burnt out early.
Personally, I think that what he is doing is cute. I just hope he does not suffer like his mother did. I believe there is something to be said for learning too much too fast.
[question posted by Rozie37]
responses and comments:
I think it is awesome that he has learned so much in his young age. It seems to me if he wasn't capable of learning this much he wouldn't... if that makes sense. Some kids just catch on early... and maybe he too will get bored if he is held back later in school. About learning too much too soon. I don't know, but I do know kids are getting smarter and smarter younger and younger. You can just watch "smarter than a 5th grader" and see that. I remember I used to get annoyed at one of the young ones I used to take care of. He just seemed too much like an adult at 7 years old. It would bother me that he wasn't like a regular kid... but I guess that was because he was serious... and is a serious adult too now. [OreoCookie3]
I have a niece who was like that at four years old and she continues to be that way, she is now 12. The problem with her is that she is serious, but she has a smart mouth that gets her into trouble. It's always hard to believe that someone of her age says and does the things that she does. I use to live with my sister and help her take care of them. One day, when this baby of the family was still four, she was sitting on the floor playing a video game. I was sitting next to her in a chair, just watching her. Pretty soon, her mother started calling her. She called her about five times. The child was just sitting there still playing like that was not even her name. I said, Brittany your mother is calling you. She said, wait. I said, Brittany you mother i calling you. I said, wait. Pop, I went right upside her head. I was not use to children talking to my like that. She huffed and puffed, but got up to see what her mother wanted. Pretty soon we got to know each other better. I calmed down and she was more willing to obey what I asked her to do. I was never mad at her, in fact, I still laugh when I think about it and tell that story. But, it is so important that children obey the first time. The second time, may be too late. [Rozie37]
i call it the daycare brat syndrome... my mom worked in a daycare & brought us with her when we were little. the kids there were so mean. i had to reluctlantly put my son in daycare for about a year and it taught him all types of behavior I don't approve of. but i think that's what you get when you let other people raise your kids. the kids learm a different defense and survival instict in those kinds of environments. [vera5d]
Kids should not be forced to go to school at such an early age. Learning happens when kids enjoy what they're doing with other kids of their own age. [cheapscake1326]
All the kids there are the same age. My nephew is just a little on the short side. [Rozie37]
Yes kids do learn fast, and sometimes way too fast. It is really important for kids to get shown the right way to do things and corrected EVERY TIME that they step out of line. Sure, sure, sure you say. That's some advice from someone who probably has never even had kids WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!! I have raised five kids, it wasn't easy and sometimes it sure felt like I could have throttled the little and big darlings but I managed to persevere and as a result of being consistent and persistent have 5 law abiding and fully functionally adult children. Oh to be so lucky you say. Luck has nothing to do with it. It was damn hard work keeping them in line and I was probably the meanest mum in the whole world, but the kids knew I meant business and I did my best to be consistent and persistent in things I did with my kids, I gave them my time and they knew that to step over the line meant to take the consequences no matter where they were or whoever was there at the time. I never bawled a kid out in front of his peers but asked the kid to come inside or to one side so I could talk quietly to them. They responded much better to this than being embarrassed in front of their peers. You don't get a rule book or and you can't google for the answers but parenting is worth all the hard work in the long run. Let kids think they make the decisions by allowing them to have their say, don't dictate to them, you are their parents NOT THEIR BOSS!!!!! And love them unconditionally, it's bldy tough to do that but it needs to be done. Remember we were kids ourselves once and if we were to ask our parents what we were like as kids we might just be surprised at some of the answers we get back. Make your kids feel good about themselves, praise them for what they did not for what they achieved, so what if they get a C+ instead of a B-, hey it's only another person's perspective on what you already know anyhow so why make the kid stretch and strain for perfection when effort is what is needed. Love the kids, be persistent and consistent and stand your ground, it is well worth it when your adult kid turns out to be law abiding and kind to others. What more do you really want from them???????? HUGZ from Kitten1954 [kitten1954]
My sister is totally strict on her kids. That is what makes this thing so cute to me. She was caught off guard when her grandson was born. She said she never knew she could love any other child as much as she loved her own. She knows that she has to discipline him. I am always teasing her by saying that she won't be able to be strict with him. She says that if she loves him, she will have to be. One day, I had some extra money so she had took me and the tripets to Toys R Us. I told them they could buy anything that they wanted, but they still knew to ask their mother's permission before putting anything in the basket. When it was time to go, she said, children, in her normal tone of voice and each one of them came running. Not out of fear, they just know to mind their mother. She started with them when they were young, they are 15 now and they are the most perfect children I have ever known. They get straight "A's" and are on the honor role every semester. One girl plays basketball, both girls dance and act for the church, and the boy has already been told by the pastor that he will be a preacher when he is older. So believe me, she is no amatuer. She's just still getting use to the idea of being a grandmother. [Rozie37]
I was smart for my age, but I was not a smart alec. Someone should tell him it is not right to beat up on older kids or take things that do not belong to him. It is not cute. He is not showing how brilliant he is, he is just being greedy. Someone should get him interested in doing something else. And since his mother did the same thing when she was young, maybe you should step in and show him how to be a good boy. Teach him to share and that it is not right to steal. [suspenseful]
He didn't beat up anyone, he got beat up for taking the other kids toy. My sister does not think it is cute. His mother is twenty years old and not very mature for her age. I believe that the other teachers let him get away with a lot because he is my sister's grandson. It is only cute to me, because I have not seen him in five months and when you are in love, everything that person does is cute. I would have to be use to being around him before I could discipline him. I will be the first to admit that I messed up with his mother. I was so interested in being a good auntie and giving her the things that I never got as a child, that I rarely ever really got on her case. Now, when she doesn't respect me, I get mad at her. She was my first and favorite niece and could do no wrong in my eyes. [Rozie37]
i think kids do grow up too fast........................... [palina77]
It sounds to me like he is a smart little boy and needs to be guided into doing good. He will need to be watched all the time. I had one like that and he drove me crazy. He was always doing something to get into trouble. He is so smart he was so board in school. Good luck to his mother. [teapotmommommerced]
That is exactly the way he is. He was already running at nine months. He is always into something. Hopefully, he does not have ADHD. My sister is always saying how active he is. Unfortunately, both of his parents have mental illness. [Rozie37]
Oh! Now you got me scared. My younger one will be joining a toddler group when he is 1.5 years old. My older son started pre-school when he was 3...but the school pushed him to nursery in 3 months (said he was already starting to write). But the school I checked out for my little one (where I will be teaching too)...works on play most of the time...(especially for toddlers). I don't want him to be doing any academic learning...but social skills..yes. I think there's no "too young" for that. [SViswan]
I'm sure she will seeing how she's brought up 4 kids of her own. Even though some of the things kids do are cute, I make sure I do not smile if it is something that is socially unacceptable. I don't want the kids thinking it is alright to repeat it. But I do enjoy it in private with my hubby. You can't help but smile at some of the things they do. [SViswan]