Ellen Seidman is kind of a big deal in the blogging world. On her blog Love that Max (among other places) she writes so candidly and honestly about what it’s like to raise Max, her son with special needs, and Sabrina, his younger sister. One theory of hers that I particularly love is that all kids have a special strength or super power.
My Max’s superpowers are observation and his amazing memory. He remembers EVERYTHING. He’ll tell you what you had to eat the last time we went to the diner and what you were wearing…even if it was over a year ago. He files away nuggets of information like the fact that the Portland Bridge goes over the Connecticut River and it’s a bridge that you drive over, not walk over. He knows the way to both of his schools and several times has had to tell us that we were driving to the wrong one (and was right!). I really can’t wait to get him some music lessons, because he has a particular knack for remembering bands, singers and songs. After only being told once or twice, he can remember that it’s just Maroon 5 that sings Moves Like Jagger, but it’s Maroon 5 AND Gym Class Heroes who sing Stereo Hearts. To his father’s delight he can also point out most songs by the Foo Fighters, Cold Play, Pearl Jam and Nirvana too. It’s a fun quiz game we like to play…it’s his trick to show off at parties.
Ben’s superpower is the ability to do puzzles. That kid can figure any puzzle out on his own…always asking for help, but never needing it. If his current puzzle skills are any indication of what his patience and perseverance will be like later in life, he’s going to be one really great employee…and father. I think Ben also holds the record for most number of strawberries eaten at one sitting, so perhaps his superpower is really competitive eating.
In my world, where I’m constantly forced to be aware of all the things Max can’t do, all the things he struggles with, it’s really nice to figure out how he is smart, not how smart he is. It’s nice to think about all his strengths versus focusing on all of his weaknesses. So thank you Ellen, for introducing that concept to me.
So tell me, what superpowers do your kids possess?
CT Working Moms 
Your post made me think of this quote:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
I agree that every child has a superpower, but as Kate was saying we need to get out of the way and let our kids guide themselves into what their genius is. Nora’s superpower is her persistence – she is so focused and analytical, even in play! She definitely takes after her dad in that regard, she certainly didn’t get it from me!
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Love that quote!
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I think that is my favorite quote ever. Thanks for sharing Christa.
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I’ve said since Lills was born that she has an amazing ability to sense the vibes of other people. It’s really quite amazing. If she senses someone is a positive person, she warms up so much easier than if there’s any bit of negativity. Her superpowers are her empathy & ability to read people – and I know this already even though she’s only 9 months old! I swear!
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Michelle, I hope that super power stays. She’ll have some kick ass boyfriends!
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Those are some excellent superpowers! One of my daughter’s superpowers is her perceptiveness and ability to figure stuff out. She’s also turning out to be an amazing speller!
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Oh, I LOVE this! I always tell my boys that there is a GENIUS in them ~ and it’ll show up in whatever they are passionate about. I LOVE Max’s and Ben’s superpower (especially the competitive eating, lol!)
My almost 7 year old is quite plainly, a game GENIUS. As soon as he figured out how to play Uno when he was 4, he beat everybody. Same with Go Fish. Now he’s into video games and he astounds me ~ he’s been beating the family at Wii bowling since he was 5 years old. He can master any game he wants…and WITHOUT being able to read the instructions.
It’s been fun watching my 4 year old’s super powers ~ he’s so singularly focused. For months he loved Ninjago legos and would amaze us with his meticulous play. Now he’s into MInecraft (a video game) and it’s astonishing to see how quickly he learns when something is really important to him. Just yesterday I was watching him play and noticing (not for the first time) how his mind works very differently than mine. It occurred to me, watching him play, that children think/learn/play SPHERICALLY in all directions…until we teach them how to only think/learn/play linearly. Once again I’m convinced that the best way to have our children access their GENUIS/Superpowers is to get out of their way.
LOVE this post! Thank you. 🙂
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