Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How do you handle a dumb child if you yourself are very bright?
I'll tell you one way NOT to handle them...don't PUSH!
I live in a very competitive school district. Every so often a kid just can't take it anymore and does something drastic.
Early this morning, I was awoken by someone yelling and shouting outside, around 1:30am. Then headlights shone into my bedroom. Shortly thereafter, five or six fire trucks came to put out my next door neighbor's house fire. These are not poor or disadvantaged people; their house is worth approximately $800k and their yearly taxes are more than $15k.
Their 16 year old son set the fire and fled the scene. I believe it was him shouting outside, but he was not speaking English, so I didn't know what he was saying.
He is now charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of felony arson, and other lesser charges.
I have a strong suspicion that his parents pushed him a little too hard about school and grades and the kid snapped.
Children come in all sizes, shapes, levels of intelligence, etc. The sooner parents accept that, the healthier their children will be.
How to deal with a child who is 'less than bright'? Just love him!
My cousin and his wife are damn near brilliant. Thans to her mother hiding the fact they were a Down's Synrome risk, she had a DS baby. Try THAT for a kid that didn't mirror your intellect.
She made it her crusade and leads the DS community in her area. Sometimes God tells you what road to take.
OK if you are seriously smart, you have been "dumbing it down" for the crowd since kindergarten.
You know how to talk to people without making THEM feel stupid. You know how to explain things simply also.
I think any intelligent parent would cope just fine with a less intellectual child.
The child probably has other strengths.
Even my ex husband thanks God daily the kids took after me not him. His side are barely literate, mine university educated.
My daughter was literally the first person in their family tree, to finish high school let alone go to Uni.
However my ex husband and his family are what I'd call "smart" naturally. You can have a decent conversation with them about all sorts of things, even though they're not book learned.
I've got a pack of nephews who, if they aren't actually stupid, have fiercely fought learning anything. They would literally fight you if you tried to explain anything to them. All that hostility about putting anything into their brains makes them look stupid even if they arent. Grown up, none of them has a job that involves any brain work.
Fortunately for them, their mother is dumber than a red brick so she is unaware that they are stupid. She can barely read and can't add or subtract. Can't balance her checkbook, doesn't know anything about history or science and she decided to home school the boys. Fortunately that project didn't last long.
I think all you can do with lower IQ kids is to love them like crazy, support them emotionally, and put a lot of effort into finding out what they can do and then encouraging them.
By the way, there are very few jobs that require high intelligence. The majority of jobs can be done by rote and don't require intellectual superiority.
There aren't too many people inventing liquid crystal computers or discovering cures for cancer. The rest of jobs don't require that degree of creativity.
No, it doesn't, but he's stated numerous times she just isn't as bright as his younger daughter and doesn't think she is capable of taking over the business when he retires.
I think the dad is an idiot with unrealistic expectations.
No, it doesn't, but he's stated numerous times she just isn't as bright as his younger daughter and doesn't think she is capable of taking over the business when he retires.
Why burden your children with running a family business. The children, if they grew up in the business, are probably sick of it or want to do something different with their lives. Continuing in on it will be a constant reminder that they are just working to please their parents (whether still alive or deceased).
Instead, the Uncle should be focusing on getting his company in a position to pull in maximum value when he sells it. Then he can retire comfortably, and his daughters can succeed or fail on their own.
Nothing you have said so far indicates your uncle is gifted, financial success doesn't equal above average intelligence.
More to the point, even if your uncle is disappointed in his daughter and compares her unfavorably to her sister, what kind of idiot voices that publicly? He's not nearly as smart as you think he is if this is ever a topic of discussion at family gatherings!
So true. Book smarts do not guarantee wealth and in some cases lock you into relatively low paying academia. Hard work, stubborness and perseverance are traits far more likely to make you financially successful - that and right place/right time.
By the way, there are very few jobs that require high intelligence. The majority of jobs can be done by rote and don't require intellectual superiority.
There aren't too many people inventing liquid crystal computers or discovering cures for cancer. The rest of jobs don't require that degree of creativity.
Great point. In most roles, extreme intelligence would either cause you to be bored or constantly butting heads with those around/above you. Companies want someone they can control.
It's too bad that a parent like that can't attach worth to any other qualities besides intellectual strengths (or lack thereof). There's so much more that goes into making a human being successful, happy, healthy, likeable, and lovable. People in ivory towers should realize just how much contempt the rest of society has for them--often it's quite a bit. A high IQ doesn't mean much if you're dull, dry, humourless, conceited, and just a nuisance to have around.
I did feel sorry for one prof at university. He was a brilliant, well-rounded scientist. He was chair of his department. Very popular with his students, formidable reputation. His son was a pony-tailed stoner, and last I heard, he was driving a taxi. Oh well.
The parents I truly feel sorry for, though, are the ones who have gifted kids who are miles ahead of the parents. I knew of one kid who was constantly running rings around his the entire time he was growing up. He was always up to major shenanigans.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
