Do you think kids make you smarter?

[mom2alix]

This university study says having children actually robs you of IQ points. What do you guys think?

http://www.hoosiergazette.com/News/Sept2004/news001.htm

 

[poohandwendy]

LOL, they tested the parents when their children were 6 months old? Well, duh...most people are over-tired, over-worked and stressed out when they have an infant in the home, especially a first born...

This study would have more significance if they studied a broad range of people with children of differing ages, IMHO.

 

[tonyswife]

The article is from a satirical website, sort of like theOnion.com. Although, I do think kids can make your IQ drop. Snort.

 

[Beth76]

huh???????

 

[kaylajr]

I've always thougth pregnacy burns brain cells LOL

i was much smarter before i had my two DD's

 

[JESW]

Well, then they get older and you have to help (some of) them with homework - I just started 4th grade - again!

Jill

 

[powellrj]

Originally posted by JESW
Well, then they get older and you have to help (some of) them with homework - I just started 4th grade - again!

Jill

Then they become teens and you become stupid again!!

 

[browneyes]

I think my kids have taught me to find more answers to some of the strangest questions that I wouldn't have thought about if they hadn't asked them. So yes, kids make me smarter.

 

[100%Disney]

Being pregnant with my DD made me forgetful, and I haven't recovered yet.

 

[fanofmickey]

I hav for kidz and itt hassnt efekted me yet!

 

[oogieboogie]

parents are the smartest people in the world...

how else could you explain the fact that everyday millions of parents out there have to answer the questions:

why is the sky blue?
why is that frog green?
where does Mr. Pookie go when he goes down the toilet?
why can't I go play outside in the blizzard?
why can't I go outside naked?
where do babies come from?

 

[NMAmy]

Originally posted by oogieboogie
parents are the smartest people in the world...

how else could you explain the fact that everyday millions of parents out there have to answer the questions:

why is the sky blue?
why is that frog green?
where does Mr. Pookie go when he goes down the toilet?
why can't I go play outside in the blizzard?
why can't I go outside naked?
where do babies come from?

Yeah, oogieboogie, I used to be the go to person on those questions but as the parent of a 13 yo girl, I can tell you that I have become the dumbest person on the face of the planet (not to mention the most embarassing!) I can't wait till she hits her 20's and I regain my intelligence again!

 

[totalia]

Well, as the old saying goes, if you don't use it, you lose it.

That works for everything. If you don't use the knowledge and spend your entire day dealing with children and the things associated with them (which tend to be very low on the rung of intelligent things especially when the kids are very young), then its likely you will start to lose the knowledge you had before because its not as important to your current situation.

Btw, I don't like IQ tests. IQ tests only test two things. Your current knowledge and your ability to recall it under pressure. It does not actually test your intelligence.

 

[momof2inPA]

That was a pretty funny article, and the reference to the Kinsey institute made it almost credible.

Homeschooling my son makes me smarter. His first grade curriculum included the history of ancient Greece and the history of the Israelites. After all these years, I can finally make sense of the Old Testament.

I was wondering about having lost IQ points over time, so I took an online IQ test, and was surprised to see that I scored about the same as I did in fifth grade, but I was more concerned that the binge drinking in college killed my brain cells, not having the kids.

totalia-- Many adult jobs aren't a huge stretch of the average person's intellectual abilities.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

That works for everything. If you don't use the knowledge and spend your entire day dealing with children and the things associated with them (which tend to be very low on the rung of intelligent things especially when the kids are very young), then its likely you will start to lose the knowledge you had before because its not as important to your current situation.

I can assure you that spending 15 hours a day staring at Visual Basic and COBOL code didn't do all that much for my ability to quote Shakespearian sonnets at the end of the day either.

 

[Cindy B]

I think the test, and study did fit its data to a certain viewpoint.

Parents of 6 month olds are barely sleeping, let alone coherent!

As for time with me, well, I have to say, yes, it has. Not only with the endless questions, but with school curriculum questions.

I also went back to school when my kids enrolled in school. If you aren't using your brain, you do lose it!

 

[momof2inPA]

It's a joke. The article and website are satires. Note the paragraph about parents becoming raving lunatics and yelling at coaches when their children are mediocre athletes. It was probably written by a teacher.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I don't know about my IQ, but I do know that my memory got worse.

 

[AmyBeth68]

LOL! MSNBC got burned with this one....they reported it is true. I forget which report it was on, but I saw the newscaster recant the story tonight. Too funny...and not all that far from the truth .

 

[mom2alix]

Did they actually recant? I thought they were being tongue in cheek and actually knew this was a joke! The website even has a disclaimer that clearly states that it's made up!

I assumed that they were just trying to be more like John Stewart to boost their ratings, but obviously I thought it was funny or I wouldn't have posted to share with you all.