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First Children: More Exceptional?  

Poll Results: Is your *first* child exceptional?

 
  • 10% (11)
    Yes, s/he has a disability that affects the way s/he thinks.
  • 0% (1)
    Yes, although neurologically s/he is pretty normal, s/he has a physical disability.
  • 6% (7)
    Yes, s/he is twice exceptional (gifted but with a disability that affects the way s/he thinks).
  • 0% (1)
    Yes, s/he is profoundly gifted.
  • 36% (40)
    Yes, s/he is gifted.
  • 13% (15)
    Not in terms of diagnoses or labels but s/he is to us.
  • 0% (1)
    Yes, s/he has both physical and mental disabilities.
  • 30% (33)
    No, my child is pretty normal.
109 Total Votes  
post #1 of 39
3/14/08 at 1:26pm
Thread Starter 
Just curious about whether first children tend to be more exceptional... so this is the first of a series of polls.

Edited to clarify: Gifted can mean a lot of things. I mean, from the dictionary:

gifted |ˈgiftid| adjective having exceptional talent or natural ability : a gifted amateur musician. • having exceptional intelligence : scholarships for gifted students.

I would certainly include children with artistic and other gifts, however, I do mean exceptional gifts.
post #2 of 39
3/14/08 at 1:57pm
Eh....my first is pretty normal. My daughters are extremely different from each other, but both are well within the normal range.
post #3 of 39
3/14/08 at 2:13pm
I think of gifted as academically gifted according to the schools standard. It is all about academic giftedness, imo. Thus, it is not something I think about at home much since by my standards my children are both gifts and gifted. All people have gifts. However, the school just look at academic giftedness.
post #4 of 39
3/14/08 at 2:47pm
I think that all of my children are exceptional... just like most parents do! But truly, my kids are just normal kiddos; advanced in some areas, struggling in others.
post #5 of 39
3/14/08 at 3:07pm
My first is (academically) gifted. But I'm (academically) gifted, and my older sister is not, so it's not always true.
post #6 of 39
3/14/08 at 4:38pm
He is academically gifted and otherwise "normal."
post #7 of 39
3/15/08 at 12:26am
My older son (first born) has an amazing imagination, very socialy adept, and has a love of language.

My younger son (second born) is quick witted, a cunning problem solver, and incredibly coordinated.

Both are, in my opinion, gifted (not by some clinical label) but in each in his own very different way.
post #8 of 39
3/15/08 at 3:40am
Thread Starter 
I am going to do another poll on second children after this one... I know it's not scientific, I am just curious. So, answer away knowing that you will have the chance to answer on the other ones later.
post #9 of 39
3/15/08 at 3:40am
Statistically, first children do have higher IQ's, so I can totally see the point of your survey. But youngest children tend to have a great sense of humor and are very creative! I'm a middle child... bleh.
post #10 of 39
3/15/08 at 4:46am
Thread Starter 
Well I'm not convinced either way. Just curious. I am the first of two and I'm not smarter than my sister.

I am just bumping to keep this survey up there for the morning.
post #11 of 39
3/15/08 at 9:02am
My oldest was more outwardly exceptional. We've realized that our second child is just as smart but he doesn't outwardly show it often. A similar thing happened with my sister and me. I'm the oldest and I was always the achievement-oriented child. My sister was my polar opposite. My parents were shocked when they learned that my younger sister's IQ was higher than mine. So my vote is that first-borns are NOT more exceptional but that they appear so due to birth order issues.
post #12 of 39
3/15/08 at 11:21am
Thread Starter 
Just to clarify, leftfield, the survey is about your child in particular, not about whether you agree with the proposition. Not to say your point of view is not interesting, I just don't want people to get confused.
post #13 of 39
3/15/08 at 1:54pm
Thread Starter 
bump, take my poll!
post #14 of 39
3/15/08 at 2:07pm
I had a tough time choosing which of the "yes" options to check, but my first born is anything but "normal"
post #15 of 39
3/15/08 at 4:45pm
I only have one daughter but since birth she has been different from the average baby, and now we know she is a gifted 2-year-old. I know some people say that all children have gifts (and they would be right ) but 'giftedness' is really a totally different ball-game--as in their brains really are hard-wired different from the day they exit the womb.
post #16 of 39
3/15/08 at 9:50pm
FWIW, I read a study a while back that found firstborns tended to have several IQ points on their younger sibs.
post #17 of 39
3/15/08 at 9:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaliki_kila View Post
Statistically, first children do have higher IQ's, so I can totally see the point of your survey. But youngest children tend to have a great sense of humor and are very creative! I'm a middle child... bleh.
Interesting, because that's what we're seeing here.

DS (youngest) is on target or a bit ahead of the milestones, and has a wicked and early-blooming sense of humor and is very interested in music and art, as well as climbing and tumbling. (Heart attack city over here!) DD (oldest) is clearly linguistically and mathematically gifted. She's only 3 -- I couldn't draw a line between "gifted" or "profoundly gifted" yet, but she's definitely a classic firstborn in her approach to life.
post #18 of 39
3/15/08 at 10:12pm
My first is severely dyslexic. However, she has surmounted this, and is a successful college student. If anyone is gifted, its my middle boy-and he is adhd!
post #19 of 39
3/15/08 at 10:51pm
Sibs tend to be within 5-10 points of each other, IQ wise. And while my younger brother and I are both gifted, his IQ is slightly higher.
post #20 of 39
3/15/08 at 11:41pm
DS1 is a pretty normal 2 year old. Its actually his 19 month old brother who appears to be exceptional. He is very advanced in his language skills, fine motor skills, he points and names all the parts of his face and will do the same to other people, communicates very well, much better than his older brother did at the same age. DS1 still has trouble using a fork and spoon, but DS2 has already mastered them. So IMO the second child is more exceptional. I think most of that comes from DS2 having an older brother and having someone to emulate.
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