Chanuka
Teddy Hobbes, a 3-year-old toddler from Portishead, Somerset, has become the talk of the town after being accepted into the high IQ society, Mensa. Teddy can read fluently and count in seven languages, an achievement that would be impressive for an adult, let alone a child his age.
Teddy’s parents, Beth and Will Hobbes, were surprised when he was admitted to Mensa after completing an IQ test and scoring 139 out of 160 on the Stanford Binet exam, putting him in the 99.5%ile for his age. Mensa, founded in 1947, is an international high IQ society that only admits members with IQs above the 98th percentile globally. With around 50,000 members of all ages in over 90 countries worldwide, Teddy has joined the ranks of the intellectually elite.
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Beth Hobbes reported that Teddy learnt to read by watching children’s television and mimicking letter sounds. “He started tracing the letters, so when we returned him to nursery following COVID lockdown, we told them he’d taught himself to read.”
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Teddy can count to 100 in Mandarin, Welsh, French, Spanish, and German, among other languages. “He was playing on his iPad, making these sounds that I didn’t recognize,” Beth said, “and I asked him what it was, and he responded, ‘Mummy, I’m counting in Mandarin.'”
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Teddy’s parents had no notion he was intelligent enough to join the high IQ social club. “We knew he could accomplish things his contemporaries couldn’t, but I don’t believe we realized precisely how amazing he was,” Beth and Will said of the outcome. “We never sought to get him in, and even when we had him tested, it was to aid him when he begins school in September – we never planned on getting him into Mensa,” she says.
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However, Teddy’s intelligence at such a young age is viewed by his parents as both a blessing and a curse. He seems uninterested in some of the more popular activities for boys his age, such as video games or watching television. “It has its drawbacks; my friends may say, “Oh, shall we have some c-a-k-e?” and their kids won’t understand, but Teddy will instantly spell it out and request more. Nothing escapes his notice; he listens to everything,” Beth explained.
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Teddy’s gestures when the family received his younger sister were also remembered by his parents. Both of their siblings were IVF babies. Teddy also has a distinct sense of the term “fun,” which suggests that he is a perfect candidate for the high IQ society Mensa. “His idea of pleasure is to sit down and recite his times tables, and he even got so enthused about fractions one time that he gave himself a nosebleed,” Beth explained. That appears to be his quirk, and they’re working hard not to make a big deal out of it.
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In conclusion, Teddy Hobbes is a remarkable child, and his achievements are a testament to his intelligence and hard work. His parents are supportive but also recognize the challenges that come with raising a child with such advanced abilities. While his future is uncertain, one thing is clear: Teddy has a bright future ahead of him, and the world can’t wait to see what he will accomplish.
