DD3 is a perfect Ruf example of a baby/toddler that ended interaction and attention, just for the stimulation but then she gives anecdotes about a toddler playing by themselves for hours, absorbed in some activity. How do I spell contraction in terms?
But that's not a contradiction. It's just that some kids are extroverts and need stimulation--like your DD--and some kids are introverts and can happily entertain themselves--like my DS. What distinguishes the HG+ child is the *extremity*, the *intensity* of their need for alone time and/or stimulation. Your DD didn't merely like stimulation, she NEEDED it, and LOTS of it, all the time! My DS didn't just like to be alone sometimes, he preferred to entertain himself for HOURS with his puzzles, even though he was just a young toddler and wasn't "supposed" to have that kind of LOOOOOOONG attention span for anything! Neither sort of intensity is the norm for kids!
The developmental paths everyone is describing for their kids are, indeed, all different. (Ruf doesn't argue that all HG+ kids are exactly the same!) But all these developmental paths have two very important things in common: they're all significantly different from the norm, and they all demonstrate an incredible intensity!
What I think Ruf does is to try to make clearer what constitutes "significantly different" and "incredible intensity."
Okay, I will stop jumping in, I promise. Sorry!
K-
P.S. Just as an aside, the neat eating thing works like a charm with DS6--he actually got *booed* at his 1st birthday party because he was perfectly neat about eating his cake! Can you imagine booing a 1yo at his own BD?!?
