SMARTIE PANTS
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Okay.
I've had it.
If one more person states that "Your kids get their smarts from their dad"....I'm going to yell.
Loudly.
Really??
Just because he's an engineer...passed everything with honors (and never had to study).....can figure out any problem by looking at it for a mere minute.....
(sigh)
Okay. I get it. Their dad is Smart.
Intelligent.
Even brilliant...(in his own way;)
But do kids REALLY inherit the Smart gene?
Don't you think SMART can just be LEARNED?
(I AM NOT saying my kids are geniuses!!!!
We have struggled in many areas and sometimes I wonder Just how long a certain concept should take to grasp...)
But everything seems to come easy for the most part.
I have a daughter who can write incredibly well and passes her spelling tests most often- first time around.
One son who is so creative I have to go to him for ideas on plans I'm making.....
Another son catches on to everything the minute he is introduced to a new concept...
And one other son who is BEYOND me when it comes to Algebra.
(Or any type of math for that matter!)
(Did I ever mention it took me 6 semesters of math to attain my Math 30 credits?:(
So my question is:
Are kids born with Smart Cells
OR....
are they acquired/learned over time?
(Because (note).... I AM their teacher)
:)
and
I do hope I'm contributing to more than
just the athletic side of things;)
..........
Oh well.
Regardless of inherited or acquired
...I am happy for them.
I just wish a BIT of it had been passed on to me......
:)
22 comments:
The age-old debate - nature vs nurture. Lots of studies done on this - and the evidence falls solidly ... on both sides !
And the evidence in your case, based on your posts, shows that more than just a bit WAS passed on to you ! ;-)
I think alot was passed on by you too. So do your kids home school? I have often thought about that and how i would go being my children's teacher. Your children are extremely blessed to have you as their teacher and MUM.
Oh yes,Dawn you defnitely have talents that their daddy doesn't have. Both my sister and I have one child each that inherited their Granddad's athletic ability,neither my Sis or I are very athletic!
LOL! They MUST take after their mommy.
It takes a lot more then smarts. Some of the smartest people I know are really pretty stupid when it comes to there actual lives.
I say both..But far too often I see people with loads of book sense and not an ounce of common sense.. balance..one needs that balance, in my opinion, to really be considered Smart..
Ah, nature v. nurture... When you find the answer let me know! Having 3 boys, it's so hard to determine if genetics play a stronger role than mom's input. There is more to life than being able to solve for X and htat is where the role of nurturing comes in.
I agree with Chris Mc & Lynne H above. My husband used to work for a lady that was a genius (member of Mensa, attorney, etc.) Didn't have a lick of common sense and married a man with no decency either.
I'm glad your kids are getting a good balance from both their parents! You've got a ton of wisdom to offer (even if it isn't math-related!)
Nature or nurture? It's both.
You should most certainly lay claim to any and all athleticism! After all, it's not the smart gene they'll be thankful for if ever chased by a bear one day!
[Weird example...sorry. Couldn't think of anything better.]
And Saxon math! You guys are definitely homeschoolers. =) Me and Saxon don't have the greatest history of amicability, though I could probably run circles around him now...probably.
ps. Now I want Smarties. Not good.
At least you have one smartie pants in the mix. With the gene pool my kids were dealt, I'm surprised they can feed themselves! Hee.
This is like a neverending story. I consider my biological father to be very simple and not clever at all, but then again, I've only met him a couple of times, so he hasn't been a part of my environment. Everybody on my mum's side is very creative, two of them live off their art, everybody has walls full of pictures, my gran does embroidery, my grandpa writes, reads, paints, plays the violin, fills notebook after notebook of sketches, etc. I am of the opinion that it is growing up around a person with certain qualities that makes you a certain way. I think the genetic part is just a background on which you have to work, and the environment is the biggest influence for that work because we learn so much by imitation. Your genes might have the potential to make you a great writer, but if you never learn how to read and write you'll never be one.
I read all the comments and I think Andrea hit it on the nail...
I had four children and my oldest was an engineer. They are a special breed, very smart. IT's a good thing he was raised with two parents that were blue color workers, because he learned what it's like to work. Tear down fences on the farm, recaulk all the windows (19) on the house and paint them, wash all the windows. know how to wash clothes, sew on a sewing machine, clean the house and cook. It made him an all around happy person. I think I would copy what Andrea wrote down and set it somewhere to where you can read it over and over.. You are doing a great job and GOd is so proud of you.~!~! me too... ta ta for now.
I think it's a bit of both. And not having too many distractions helps! I had to take summer school every year to get Math 30, so I can sympathize. Sounds like you married the right person!
Well the debate can go on...but the bottom line is Emotional Intelligence...that is the most important!
Your kids have been blessed with a great dad and a wonderful teacher mom!(maybe the brain is from dad...but the teacher taught them how to use it)
Love the post!! Love that athlete!!!!
(as well as the creative one and SMARTIE ones)
You enjoy these smarties, my friend xxxx
It is all you you you - you have bought them up to feel confident in what they learn so you are the one who needs a gold star :-) And the maths thing - I can relate to that after taking my GCSE twice in it only to get the same mark , but hey I am fab at working out the best mortgage product which is the main thing :-)
Love your blog!
Following!
Coming back for more!
HuGs ~~
I hear ya, though, I have no kids of my own. I can say, I really don't have a clue. I will say one thing though, I am with you on the whole math thing. Imaginary Numbers? What the Hell?
Dawn, you are brilliant and I think that between both you and your husband that your children have the best of both worlds. Each of you being into their lives something which the other can't offer and this I view as a blessing! Celebrate for not all are this blessed. :-)
Wonderful post, have a fantastic weekend!
I can tell your husband is brilliant because look who he chose for a spouse. In my experience a well rounded child is one who understands that not all things are easy for everyone.
Aww! You are so cute. I think I would rather be athletic than smart. I think it may get you farther in the long run! :) And you home school? Wow - that's amazing! Really cool. I definitely think you get some credit for the smarts then :)
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