Premature and/or summer born

[rumtumtugger]

Please tell me about your G&T DCs who were summer-born and/or premature. I want to know that it's possible!

[lljkk]

MN is full of them, should be no shortage of replies, lol.

[emsiepoops]

Don't really get how a summer born child is the same as a premature child tbh

[difficultpickle]

Ds is both and gifted. Not achieving at school though (hence his recent Ed Psych assessment that was very enlightening, especially to his school). Personally I think it is pretty meaningless. The world is full of gifted people who haven't achieved their potential.

[PiqueABoo]

10yo DD is a summer-born, tended to meekly stay under the radar at first but accelerated into KS2 catching up with and overtaking everyone in the "brightest class we've ever had" (there are a lot of very comfortable socio-economic backgrounds in that specific class).

It's not much but she's still a bit less 'socially mature' than the very oldest children and we had some summer-born trouble that wasn't trivial or brief, but I like the child she is right now and wouldn't go back and change a thing. A birthday a couple of weeks later that made her the oldest in the year below would have been a disaster.

It's possible.

[rumtumtugger]

Emsiepoops, mine is both.

[lljkk]

Honestly, just google "youngest in the year top of the class site:mumsnet.com". Loads of hits.

[BlackeyedSusan]

summer born, tested gifted. emotional overexcitbilities, possibly dyspraxia, definite hypermobility...very complicated and gives a mixed picture hence the testing to check I am not deluded.

h was premmie and manged a reasonble degree.

[Acinonyx]

Another summer born - still catching up in social smarts.

[ksksnod]

i know quite a few people who constantly failed at school subjects but good at one or two thngs like music/ computer. common theme is their moms would brag about how gifted their children are but havrnt achieved their potential. one of these very gifted ones committed suicide at the age of 32 having experienced too much failure in life.

[Willdoitinaminute]

DS was born at 36 weeks had a short stay in special care. He was a slow burner in reception but has excelled in subsequent years. He has Sept birthday so has advantage of age in his year. Unfortunately lacks confidence in his ability.
We are careful to support rather than push him and quietly acknowledge his ability with teaching staff rather than broadcasting it. He is a bit of an all rounder and enjoys sport probably more than the academic side. He is a little quirky and has had some social issues but with support is learning to deal with it.

[iseenodust]

DS is end of August birthday. School have him down as G&T. I am July born and took maths o level a year early which was uncommon all those decades ago . Neither of us is out there geeky intellectual though.

[lainiekazan]

Mine were both premature and are August babies.

Ds was born at 36 weeks (yellow, hairy and skinny). He is v clever and was always top of the class. The head called me to say he achieved highest SATS marks in the county. He is, however, lazy and now he has to put in some graft he is no longer top of the tree this may be the fault of my genes...

Ds still looks much younger than his year group. Again this may be (my pesky) genes because other August boys are indistinguishable from their year group peers. Ds looks a good 2 or 3 years younger.

[lainiekazan]

(That's not to say I still look young - things went off a cliff after 40....)

[JedwardScissorhands]

My summer born is (mumsnet pass) my autumn born preemie not (mumsnet fail). However I suspect my autumn born will do better in life and achieve more of their potential.

[Cat98]

May born ds here - not sure if truly "gifted" but working at a v high level at numeracy and on g and t list in school.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Around 10% of our vet students we have for placements were pre 35 weeks. So I would say the odds are pretty good.

[Snelldog]

I was a summer baby and early and jumped a year at school

[Whereisegg]

My dd is 10 and second youngest in the year.
She is on the g&t register and is frequently taken out of maths to be taught separately.
Thank goodness she understands her homework as it scares me!

[Tearsofthemushroom]

My DS was 36 weeks and born mid August. Has excelled at school and works with the top group of the year above in maths. Struggles more socially though and only plays with older children.

[tomsmum08]

My DS was born at 30 weeks, in mid august. he's thriving at school and is exceeding in some areas, average in others. He has stuggled socially, but is getting there now.

[hillian]

DS1 was summer born and is gifted. He achieves highly despite having a learning disability.
However he struggles socially and I think its a mixture of shyness and being too sensible/ serious.

All the stats show that summer born children tend to under perform but I think that does not apply to those at the gifted end of the spectrum. Rather it relates to a loss of self confidence in the first years of primary when most summer born children are being outperformed by their peers.

Personally, Id swap some of DS's intelligence for a dose of happiness any day.

[natellie1970]

DD was summer born and since reception has always been top of her class writing poems at age 4

[MrsBungleScare]

My dd is summer-born. I was worried about her always trying to catch up. Teacher just told us at parents evening that she's top in the year and way way ahead. So it's certainly possible. I was young in my year and I was always in bottom groups in primary school, I didn't seem to academically 'mature' until I was about 10. I'm
Certainly not gifted or anything but I've got 2 degrees and I've done alright.

[Galena]

DD should have been July born, but was born at 27 weeks (April). She is 4.6 and very bright. She reads fluently and with understanding, has good maths skills and an enquiring mind