Many people took advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns to learn something new, but few managed to pull off what a gifted toddler in the United Kingdom did. Teddy Hobbs may be Britain’s smartest youngster.
Still only four years old, Teddy could count to 100 before he turned two. He now can do it in seven different languages.
“I just assumed, you know, every child has their own quirk. Each child develops slightly quicker in something else than the other ones, and we just assumed that was his thing,” said his mother, Beth.
However, during Britain’s nationwide lockdown, her clever child really came into his own, embracing his love of learning. He simply needed to watch instructive shows.
His mother inquired about him as he rolled out some Play-Doh.
“Cutting the shape of Kenya,” he replied.
Mensa, which describes itself as “the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world,” was impressed by his brilliance.
In Britain, Teddy Hobbs is now the youngest member of Mensa. The organisation only accepts applicants with intelligence scores at or above the 98th percentile.
“He was three years and seven months old, and they said he had the letter and word recognition of an eight-year-old,” his mother recalled.
Teaching himself to read at age two is included on young Teddy’s impressive report card.
“Teddy has done all of this himself. When we go out and give him the option of a treat, he wants a book rather than chocolate,” his mother said.
Despite being a boy genius, his mom made it clear that he is still just a boy when it comes down to it.
He’s a normal four-year-old boy,” she said. “He finds poo really funny.”
His family is aware that he has a lot of big, if quite small, shoes to fill, and they wonder if Teddy’s younger sister will follow in his footsteps.
At just two and a half years old, Kentucky’s Isla McNabb became the youngest Mensa member.
