Fintan advises mummy

Over a week ago, Fintan, three, went shopping with his mummy. As usual, my wife, Syahidah, started to think in terms of what she could buy for other people, rather than herself. She would rather buy something for anyone else in the world, than herself.

Fintan watched his mother as she made shopping decisions; watched what she looked at; watched what she deliberated over.

At some point, he asked her to buy something for herself, which he knew she needed, but which he had observed she had made no effort to find.

She pointed out the other things she needed to get.

He turned on her, "Listen mummy, you buy it for yourself! Are you listening to me? You buy it for yourself!"

Touched by his concern, she mumbled something about doing so, and even made a superficial effort to look for the item in question. In the end, however, her self-sacrificial nature triumphed - and she did as she always did - and bought everything, everyone else required instead.

Fintan had done his best.

(If you would like to read more of Fintan, three, Ainan Celeste Cawley (a scientific child prodigy, aged seven years and two months) or Tiarnan, 12 months exactly, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, the creatively gifted, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)