Thursday, January 31, 2008

my kid is smarter than I am

And he is only 9.

Yesterday while reading a science lesson about force, the diagram showed a water wheel in a stream. I pointed out how the water turns the wheel and turns the shaft to power whatever machine is hooked up to it. Will said, "No, Mommy, the water turns it the opposite direction, see?" He then drew me a blow-up diagram of a water wheel so I could understand it better.

On the same day he studied the LEGO Technic book and constructed a candy dispenser even though we still have not gotten the extra parts bag in the mail. (due tomorrow)

At this rate, I think that my future will include hours of driving my child to college classes when he's 12. I'm sure I'll do better in teaching him biology than physics, after all, I know lots about child development!

3 comments:

Elisheva Hannah Levin said...

Don't you just love it when they really know something. I think you may have a budding engineer on your hands.

Anonymous said...

I know exactly how you feel. My 17 yo dd just aced a physics exam (Apologia)! Dr Wile told her she may have a knack for physics. She finds it "easy" !

While I got an A in high school physics, I was happy to get a C in college physics! I have mixed feelings about her being smarter than me. I'm proud of her, but somehow feel as though I've "lost" something...At least I'm still better educated. But that will only last for 5 more years...

Carol

Anonymous said...

I can empathize. My 4-year-old son has thus far taught me more about first trains then dinosaurs than I ever learned in school (through university). His current passions are insects, amphibians and reptiles. When he was just turning 4, he taught me the difference between alligators and crocodiles, and how to tell one from the other (hint: look at the teeth).

My husband and I find it exhilarating to keep up with our son's learning. I'm a degreed engineer, and my husband's a rocket scientist with a mathematics degree. Homeschooling is the only way to go when your child is smarter than you are :-)