What happens when your child is clearly smarter than you are… and she is only a toddler?
You can ask Elise Tan Roberts parents, but they’ll tell you that they are still trying to figure out the answer themselves. The parents from North London were blessed with a healthy baby girl, who morphed into a genius tot.
According to reports, at just 2 years, 6 months and 2 weeks old, Elise has an estimated I.Q. of 156 — putting her in the top 0.2 percent of children her age and qualifying her as the youngest member of Mensa, the well-known society for extremely smart individuals.
Mensa, which was formed in 1946 as a society for people with exceptional I.Q.s, generally doesn’t accept members under the age of 10, but the group’s director says an exception was made for Elise.
“Elise’s parents correctly identified that she is an exceptional child,” says John Stevenage, head of Mensa. “They now realize they have an interesting challenge on their hands as she grows up and we look forward to seeing Elise develop in the coming years.”
The toddler already knows more than most kids five times her age. According to Elise’s mom, her pint-sized genius uttered her first real word at five months and began walking at eight months. By the time she was 14 months, Elise could identify individual dinosaurs and label them according to their families. Doctors say the little girl is gifted with an amazing memory that allows her to learn and progress at an advanced rate.
While Elise is seemingly oblivious to her “gift,” her parents are working hard to stay one step ahead of their brilliant offspring. The Tan Roberts’ say they are busy creating a schedule for their daughter that will give her a chance to pursue her interests while still allowing her to be a normal kid.
“We don’t want to make her have to dumb down and stop learning just to fit in,” says Elise’s mom. “But she’s still my baby. I just want her to be happy and enjoy herself.”
What would you do if you found out that your child was more intelligent than you and your spouse?