There are two kinds of people in this world, those who eat the red Smarties first and those who eat the red Smarties last.
It’s funny how different your kids can be from one another, even twins.
Fiona always saves the best for last. The pink Smartie is last because it’s the best (it used to be the yellow but now that is second best and second last). Sometimes she’ll hold the Smartie or M & M (or whatever) in her hand for so long that she loses it to melting. Johanna (my eldest step-daughter) and John both save the best for last, at least where food is concerned.
Sophie, on the other hand, gobbles all the Smarties at once. She bites her ice cream and lollipops….and so do I. So does Ursi, my youngest step-daughter.
The marshmallow test demonstrated that four year old kids who can hold out, grow up to be better adjusted, more popular, more dependable, adventurous and confident teenagers. They also generally scored higher on aptitude tests. The kids who gobbled the marshmallow as soon as the researcher left, were more likely to be lonely, risk averse, stressed out, frustrated and stubborn. Apparently delayed gratification is a sign of emotional intelligence.
In light of this information, I know that I have not usually delayed gratification, but I’m doing OK. I’m pretty smart, I have a good job, a (mostly) well balanced family. But now I wonder, if I had delayed gratification in my childhood and youth would I be smarter, more successful, happier, etc.
So I’m wondering are those who delay gratification really going to be better off in the long run? Or is the opposite true, if you wait too long you lose the opportunity (like the melted Smartie or your youth)? What happens if someone steals your marshmallow. What if you die and you’ve delayed major life decisions?
It’s so interesting how this plays out in a family. Is it genetic or learned? (a big question when twins are involved, more on that later also)
While discussing this with John tonight, I felt compelled to launch into this song.
I remember watching the filmed “marshmallow” tests on kids… I too wonder where L would have landed. I’d like to think I’d have waited to eat it, but who knows? Very interesting… love this post!
Whoa…that is SO interesting…I’m one of four siblings and we are all so very, very different. My mom remarked on it before she died ‘how did I raise 4 completely different children’… I’m of the belief that its circumstance. I’m 4-5 and 6 years younger than my sibs – so they were oldest, middle and only son which all three bring different aspects. I felt raised almost as an only child (since I had high school and my parents all to myself) and the youngest… and I save all the brown smarties till the end…always have….