My first child has just started school. She's 4 and she has an obsession with books. Always had. She has around 300 hundred books which are colourcoded in her room by the colour of the rainbow. (Mammies Idea). The books never have a dog ear on them and she keeps them immaculate. My dad showed her an Atlas when she was 3 and she became obsessed with countries and flags. Point to any part of a map and she can tell you the country and the colour of their flag. I started to quiz by showing her flags from around the world. Now not the main ones like USA. Countries like Ecuador, Bangledeish, Papa New Guinea and lone behold she got them all right. We were sitting down watching the Olympic ceremony a couple of months ago and out came the a nice looking group of people with their tribal garp.
"What team is that, I asked my wife"
"Belize" my daughter piped up in the middle of eating bread sticks
"Where is Belize" I asked
"Beside Guatemala" she replies.
Now I stopped there as I was embarrassed to ask her where the name of god Guatemala was in the world but I looked at my wife and we were both a bit taken aback.
I asked her what her favourite flag was and she said Seychelles but she liked the star in Bukino Faso. Fair enough I said.
Now in fairness it is a nice flag. Don't really know where that is either though. But to be that young and to know every flag in the world is quite a thing. I was sticking pencils up my nostrils at 4 years of age. She is now onto states in America which I'm learning with her. She knows all them now. School couldn't come fast enough. The new worry is that she expects the other kids to have as much knowledge as well.
I was half deciding at the time being the proud father to go on tour with her so everyone could see her guessing the flags of small colonies in the Polonesia's but in the end we settled for a flag quiz at the family get together. It went down well except for Aunty Biddy who has a dyslexic son who thinks the Ivory Coast Flag is the Irish one but as you all know on Hive, there's always one.
She asked some little boy what his favourite flag was and he said he liked the rainbow one. Seychelles she said. But the little boy was more thinking of the gay pride flag.
What is your favourite state? Blank expression. Gives her his tractor. So it will take a while for her to settle into school. I'm happy she is clever but we are trying to get her out of books now and into just jumping around and playing like the rest of the kids.
So finally we have one genius in the family. The little man in the profile just turned one and he's gonna be a carpenter although he's starting to get into books himself now. We better start saving for college.
She definitely sounds like a little smartie. I saw an 'Italy' flag today, turns out it's the Ireland flag!! I don't think you're four year old will be very impressed with me. Though credit to myself I was pretty close!
By the way, are you aware there's a motherhood community? Despite it's name I'm sure they're not restricted to mothers. Posting in communities helps your posts get more exposure and this particular one is supported by OCD as well !!
Oh I have no qualms about joining the motherhood group. I went to a toddler group a couple of years back and I was the only guy. The toddlers used to sit together and play and I got all the gossip off the mammies while having a coffee. It was great. How are those stretch marks Una? Did you get over your PMS Bridget? :-D thanks buddy. Hope all is well.
A little genius you got there. A child any parent would be very proud of