braggy post w/ question - aka - is my kid a genius?

KathrynMD · April 2012

I know this will sound braggy, but I was shocked that DD did something and I wonder if its a normal achievement.

We have puzzles for DD and she does them at school too, but I guess I haven't bought her new puzzles at home for awhile. For Easter I bought her a 24 piece puzzle thinking it might be a little hard for her, but we could do it together and in another few months, she might be able to do it on her own. We broke it out Sunday night and she did it w/ minimal help from (like I did one or two pieces) but she kept shooing me away. Last night, she did it all by herself - DH and I weren't even in the room w/ her most of the time. I was genuinely SHOCKED that she did it so well and so quickly.

Is this normal? Maybe I should get her some harder puzzles (BTW - I struggled w/ puzzles as a kid, so this isnt' really something I've even been into on my own).

LukeAndAmanda · April 2012

We bought DD a 24 piece puzzle for her 3rd birthday, and she loved it. She got a 100 piece puzzle from the Easter Bunny, and sat all day long yesterday on and off and put it together with no help. I think some kids are just made for puzzle type things. I'm not really sure how normal it is for the age, but I think some kids just really love doing that kind of thing!

Jinsy80 · April 2012

Some kids are just good at puzzles! DD1 has been doing the 24 piece ones for about two years. She's also been able to do the 48 piece ones, but she likes me to sit and "help". "Help"=watch because she's better at puzzles than I am.

howleyshell · April 2012

Well... of COURSE she's a genius!!

We have a puzzle monster at our house. I recommend getting more challenging puzzles if she seems to enjoy them!

My guy will seriously work on puzzles for HOURS.

LukeAndAmanda · April 2012

Jinsy80:
She's also been able to do the 48 piece ones, but she likes me to sit and "help".

haha This was DD yesterday. "mooooom, come help me!" When I just had to sit there. Apparently I was using my mind to tell her which pieces to pick, because I was told I was great helper.

shellybird101 · April 2012

My DD LOVES puzzles and will do a 24-50 piece puzzle by herself, but most of the time she wants help, but I think that is because she wants someone to play with. But she has been doing puzzles from a young age.

duckiegrl · April 2012

Some kids are just really good at puzzles. DD has a few 100 piece puzzles that she does by herself. She really enjoys those, especially if it's of a princess or something girly. We just keep getting her harder puzzles. She seems to enjoy those types of challenges but reading and writing are not her favorite things.

segerama · April 2012

My daughter loves puzzles, too. She is getting really fast with 24 piece and need to get her some bigger puzzles. She has no interest in counting or learning letters, so I consider this to be her thing.

DragonflyBelle · April 2012

DD has done puzzles on her own that I couldn't begin to do on my own. I don't particularly care for puzzles, so I am glad she has DH to share that love of solving things with.

FutureMrsCaesar · April 2012

I think that it's very impressive that she can do a puzzle of that size with no help. I also think that it's a testament to her patient personality and concentration level!

Littlejen22 · April 2012

I am impressed, my 5yo preschooler struggles with those and he is very smart and reading better than his friends that are a full year older and in Kindergarten.

cmh06 · April 2012

DD loves puzzles. She has a few 100 and 200 piece puzzles she'll put together by herself. Some take her all day or a few days as she'll do it for a while, leave and then come back to it, but she'll do them all by herself. We currently have a jungle puzzle being put together on our kitchen floor. DH also built her a puzzle table for her playroom for her to her puzzles on as well.

jsugrin · April 2012

A genius, no, unusual, nope again. It simple means she's probably a strong visual learner with a very strong understanding of spatial concepts. I would be using it as a foundation for learning though, lots you can teach through puzzle play.

RaeAnt · April 2012

It shows problems solving and logic skills. Genius, maybe not, but still excellent to have a young one be able to do.

Stacyc625 · April 2012

I agree- some kids are just better at puzzles than others.

My DD has been doing 48 piece puzzles with complete ease for about 6 months now.

You just have to watch their skill level and keep advancing and let them practice on harder puzzles as they go.

Brewtowngrl · April 2012

DS can do that, but it is only because I was so sick during my pregnancy with DS2 that all I did was lay on the floor and do puzzles for 9 months. He lacks in other areas. He is still struggling with letters big time.

VTbride05 · April 2012

Good for her! That's great!

My DS was always good at puzzles and still is. He likes working on 48 pieces puzzles right now and they seem easy for him. Love it!

Like pp said... yes it's great, some kids just "get" puzzles more than others, and keep encouraging her!

unraveled · April 2012

Definitely challenge her with harder puzzles- I bet she'll continue surprising you! DD1 is 3.5 and will do 100-piece puzzles when she feels like it. I was impressed by the 24/48 piece ones, but she's bored with those now. I wouldn't have expected it...

byrne15 · April 2012

ds is also good at puzzles.... he was able to complete a 24 piece puzzle at 3 years old as well....

he has since switched his interest more to writing now that he is 4 years old.

anna7602 · April 2012

No idea, but now I'm wondering how far behind on the "push your kid" spectrum I am. I have never bought DD a big puzzle. The last one I remember her doing was an 8 or 9-piece Dora one last summer.

anna7602 · April 2012

Littlejen22:
I am impressed, my 5yo preschooler struggles with those and he is very smart and reading better than his friends that are a full year older and in Kindergarten.

I don't think reading better necessarily = smarter. Like a pp mentioned, it's just being stronger in different areas. DD is fluent in 2 languages and proficient in a 3rd, but just barely mastered spelling her name in the last month. I don't think this makes her less smart than monolingual kids her age who can read.

KathrynMD · April 2012

anna7602:
No idea, but now I'm wondering how far behind on the "push your kid" spectrum I am. I have never bought DD a big puzzle. The last one I remember her doing was an 8 or 9-piece Dora one last summer.

oh you're waaaaay behind (j/k!)

Yeah. .. we just haven't done much on puzzles at all, that's why I was surprised, but she couldn't write her name to save her life either. Some of my friends have been talking about working writing letters w/ their kids, but it never occured to me to do that and I probably won't for awhile. If DD mentioned it, I might do it, but she hasn't. Everybody has their strengths, developmental pace, etc.

jsugrin · April 2012

KathrynMD:
anna7602:
No idea, but now I'm wondering how far behind on the "push your kid" spectrum I am. I have never bought DD a big puzzle. The last one I remember her doing was an 8 or 9-piece Dora one last summer.

oh you're waaaaay behind (j/k!)

Yeah. .. we just haven't done much on puzzles at all, that's why I was surprised, but she couldn't write her name to save her life either. Some of my friends have been talking about working writing letters w/ their kids, but it never occured to me to do that and I probably won't for awhile. If DD mentioned it, I might do it, but she hasn't. Everybody has their strengths, developmental pace, etc.

So, so true. My boys are only 15 months apart and #1 had zero interest in letters until he started wanting to read words, then it was the ah ha I have to know what those letters are too. So he didn't even start to learn his letters until around 3.5 or maybe a tad later. So they learned them together and now they are learning words together. Honestly I think my older one has the higher IQ, probably in the genius range ( in my family I'd the ONLY one without a genius level IQ so I'm not just a braggy parent either Wink in fact I think my "typical" one will have an easier time).

I've definitely had the same feeling though, of watching them do something or figure something out that you just go whoa, where did that come from. One of the best part of parenting IMO, after sleeping children and laughter Big Smile .

Asquared · April 2012

I'm sure your kiddo is a genius, but mine is also incredible at puzzles, so she shares the title.

readyin07 · April 2012

LOL. If she is a genius, my kid is definitely....not. At just over 3 years, he barely can do "baby" puzzles with big pegs. Actually, he can absolutely do them, but he doesn't want to so he will throw pieces where they go and call it done. Sigh. Anyway, most of his friends can do 24 piece puzzles at 3 so at least in my neck of the woods, it is pretty normal.

nylalany · May 2012

To add onto this post - my son is doing 100 piece puzzles on his own at 26 months, so he obviously has a puzzle brain. For parents of similar puzzle brained kids, I'm trying to determine what type of preschool would be good for him and if it would be better to encourage this type of brain development or try to round it out with other types (creative thinking or something?). Or, if I keep him home another year, if anyone has suggestions on games/activities to help develop this skill as well as balance it.

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