At long last I have managed to transfer all our old VHS videos onto DVD. Worried that all those precious memories of our boy would be lost if I didn’t get my act together, I found a local company who did it all for me. Now Dougie and I are going all soft looking at our wee lad and embarrassing him at every opportunity.
At present I haven’t got the software (or intelligence, for that matter) to transfer some of the DVDs to the computer so I can download extracts. Tips please would be welcome. In the meantime, I have recorded a snippet from the DVD by holding my camera in front of the laptop!!
The resulting video below shows Rory aged 2 (a couple of months off 3 years of age), completing a jigsaw. Rory used to baffle us with his ability to do puzzles: his spatial awareness seemed extraordinary but then we had no other children to compare him to. The puzzle in the video was a 100-piece Map of the World jigsaw and he completed it unaided, despite having a very runny nose and a troublesome sock.
Have a look and let me know what you think. Is this unusual?
Wow! Joseph was really good at jigsaws, he seems to have lost interest lately but maybe because they aren't challenging enough. Did Rory like imagination play at all?
I ask because Joseph would much rather play a board game or card game or do something structured than play with cars or trainsets etc. He seems to have a really logical mind but anything that requires imagination – he's not interested in.
Very Bored – Joseph does sound like Rory. Rory always preferred board games as a child or Lego where he could create things or follow instructions. Not so fussed about cars or trains unless it was lining them up and making patterns with them.
He didn't grow up to get any better with jigsaws – hasn't completed one in years!
My two had a very passing phase of jigsaws, blink and you missed it. They preferred playing with cars, Playmobil, being soldiers, and trains. Both were fascinated by wheels going round.
My youngest still likes Playmobil, Lego, and playing soldiers. He's progressing to being a spy and has asked for spy kits for Christmas…
Sarah – isn't it fascinating what each child enjoys playing with? I think I loved Playmobil more than my son – I wanted to be imaginative and bought him a camper van and a fire engine but he wasn't interested.
Good luck with your little 007!
Yeah, that is unusual, he must have amazingly strong visual skills. My son, at age two (and a couple of months), was assessed as having the visual skills of a 4 year old and wouldn't have been doing a 100 piece jigsaw!! Funny, cos my sons name is Rory too:) Jen
Jen – oh another little Rory! Lovely choice of name!
We found it interesting that he would complete a jigsaw very differently to an adult: where we would find the corners and do the edges, he would start in a random place and "see" where the pieces went often by the shape of the piece itself. As you can see from the video, he would often do bits of it upside-down.
Whoa. Quite unusual I'd say. What a great aptitude for spatial puzzles and pattern recognition! Our little 'un has just got jigsaws and he's 3 years and 2 months…!
Steve – It always surprised us, I must admit. He started on the cut-out puzzles in a wooden board when he was in his high-chair. He was quite slow to talk though so this was obviously where his talents lay at that time.
Cute…so cute. What is he really into now?
ps did it cost tons and tons to move the vhs tapes onto disc?…we have boxes of vhs and could do with something like that.
Libby – chatting to his mates on MSN and Facebook!
My mum bought me a converter which I tried but it didn't work. I should have persisted as it would have been loads cheaper but I was losing patience! In the end we found the original mini-tapes and took them to a local chap. It cost just over £100 to do 10 old tapes which is more than you'd pay if you sent it to an online company but I didn't want to risk losing the whole lot in the post.
Thanks Trish….I may get a converter for Xmas and spend happy hours re-living the past…
Blimey! My two are two on Saturday and we think they're pretty good at jigsaws because they can put a four piece Iggle Piggle one together…. L, aged 3 and a half would be bored within ten seconds of starting Rory's one (her Dad would love it though.)
That's officially amazing. As Jen says, he must have very strong visual skills, and and amazing ability to concentrate.
I'm ashamed to say I bought a converter about two years ago, did about 6 VHS tapes and then ran out of steam. By the time I get around to doing the rest the DVDs will be obsolete!
And yes – he does look rather advanced, but then all of our family are aren't they?
I'd say that was off-the-scale for the clever factor and the cute factor! My 11 year old started a jigsaw the other day. 10 mins in (and very few pieces connected) declared it was boring and went off to yabber to her friend on the phone for 4 hours instead. I'm not actually sure if any of mine have ever completed a jigsaw by themselves because they have a very annoying and intrerfering mother who gets over-excited if she spots a piece, butts in and …… all of a sudden it's just not so interesting anymore. Can't think what's wrong with them….
Plan B – Thanks so much for giving me something to compare him to. I'm so pleased with everyone's comments. I was worried it might look as if I were bragging but it was such an unusual talent I was genuinely keen to see what other people thought.
Expat Mum – ah the converter: I couldn't even get the leads to fit!
Yes, heaven knows where that seed of brilliance originated in our roots haha
Madame SG – Just can't imagine you as an annoying, interfering and over-excited mother…your children just aren't appreciating such esteemed guidance: they will regret it one day.
The vid makes me think that he'll grow up to be a fighter pilot, astronaut or at least know one end of a map from another… and should never lose his socks!
What else requires good spatial awareness and problem solving?
Pretty amazing considering his age. (I would need twice the time and to consult the picture on the box a lot!
Sarah – as we both know, a studious toddler doth not necessarily make a studious teenager. If he got a job lying horizontal on the sofa that would suit him just fine!
Clippy Mat – you're right, he didn't look at the picture on the box! I'd forgotten that and I think that's an important factor: he saw shapes and not pictures.
I've taken a look at it and it is certainly not unusual. However trying to represent an oblate ellipsoid onto a flat rectangular jigsaw is bound to cause severely distortion – in the polar regions in particular. At one point I can see Rory hesitating and puzzling over this distortion.
I guess with your geography degree you knew that but you were just testing us?
Troy – Have you been on the whisky this evening? :-). Of course you're quite right: I distinctly remember Rory saying "Mother, there is severe distortion in the polar regions" before he wiped his snotty nose on his sleeve for the umpteenth time.
The boy's a genius, no doubt about it! When is he going up to Cambridge?
The Dotterel – once I can prise him off the sofa.