Social skills in toddlers

Tiarnan is eighteen months old. Though yet young, he has shown, on many occasions, an unexpected social adroitness that is often funny in its aptness.

A week ago, Tiarnan was moving about a lot in a taxi.

His mother, Syahidah, said: "Sit down."

"I don't want to." he replied firmly and continued to investigate the interior of the taxi, energetically.

Seeing that her own request wasn't working, Syahidah tried another tack.

"The uncle will scold you.", she said, referring to the taxi driver.

He stopped, then, to observe the taxi driver.

The driver duly played along and looked fiercely at Tiarnan.

Yet, Tiarnan wasn't phased. He clambered forward to the centre of the taxi, betwixt the seats, leant forward, and gently patted the driver on his forearm, to pacify him, all the time looking up into his face.

It was such a disarming thing to do, and so aptly timed, that, had the driver genuinely been angry, I am sure that that would have mollified him: who could be angry after such a display?

It is often surprising how complex, subtle and appropriate the social behaviour of a young child can be. Particularly, if that child has shown some skill in social circumstances. Tiarnan is one such: he always seem to know what to do, to create just the right result for him.

(If you would like to learn more of Tiarnan, eighteen months, or his gifted brothers, Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged seven years and eight months, or Fintan, four years and one month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, genetics, left-handedness, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)