Vault: The One Test That Reveals If Your Toddler Will Be Smarter Than Average

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bert Show

Episode: Vault: The One Test That Reveals If Your Toddler Will Be Smarter Than Average
Date: March 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the renowned "marshmallow test"—a simple yet powerful experiment designed to measure young children's self-discipline and its potential as a predictor of future success. The hosts break down the science behind the test, share personal anecdotes, reflect on the broader implications for parenting, and even poke fun at themselves in relatable, comedic exchanges.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to the Marshmallow Test

• [00:28] The hosts describe an easy at-home test variant popularized by researchers at Stanford:
  Place a marshmallow in front of your child.
  Tell them: You can eat this marshmallow now, or wait until I come back and get two marshmallows. Leave the room for 15 minutes.

2. Age Range and Implementation

• [01:45] It’s clarified that the ideal age is toddler to early elementary years—roughly 3 to 5 years old. The hosts mention a live demonstration of the test available online for interested parents.

3. Results and What’s Measured

• [02:18] In a demonstration, 4 out of 11 children ate the marshmallow within the first minute, demonstrating "zero self-discipline."
• The hosts stress:

  "They're not predicting that any of these kids are gonna be either good at self-discipline or not. What we really wanna do is help parents try to figure out how we can help our kids develop more self-discipline."
  — Radio Host 2 [02:19]

• Reference is made to 18 years of longitudinal research connecting the ability to delay gratification with better adjustment, happiness, popularity, and success in school.

4. The Meaning of Self-Discipline

• The importance of self-discipline is explained as crucial for delayed gratification, such as getting up for work instead of sleeping in.
• [03:19]

  "They follow these kids for 18 years. And the research showed that if you can teach them to be self-disciplined during this one test...they're more apt to be successful later on in life."
  — Radio Host 2

• The show underlines the parental goal as teaching—not judging—kids to improve their ability to wait for greater rewards.

5. Audience Curiosity and Missing Details

• [03:41] A co-host wonders about outcomes for "in-between" kids who don’t eat the marshmallow immediately but don’t make it to 15 minutes either.

  "Did it give you a percentage? Is it like 80%, 90, or is it like 51%?"
  — Radio Host 3

• Hosts admit that the specific numbers and full outcome details are found in a book they mention (with a link available on their website), acknowledging a bit of "teasing" for further reading.

6. Adaptations and Personal Anecdotes

• A caller asks what to do if a child doesn’t like marshmallows. The hosts suggest swapping for any desirable treat or reward, stressing the principle is the same.
• [04:47]
  Radio Host 2 shares a personal reflection:

  "I think my 6 year old would pass it...I don't see [my 18-month-old] passing this test. I think he's more like his dad."

• Listeners are encouraged to try the experiment at home and see where their kids land, inspiring dialogue around teaching self-control.

7. Humorous Spin and Relatability

• [05:29]
  The hosts joke about "sorting the kids" at family gatherings:

  "Not only at Thanksgiving, you have a kids table, a smart kids table, and a dumb kids table."
  — Radio Host 3

• The marshmallow test is then humorously adapted for adults at nightclubs with Patron shots, resulting in the admission:

  "And I think I would probably fail miserably."
  — Radio Host 2 [05:41]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the purpose of the test:

  "Self-discipline is a key success factor for kids. The ability to say no to themselves."
  — Radio Host 2 [02:19]

• About parental guidance:

  "So if the kid takes the marshmallow immediately, you can start to teach him some self-discipline by going, look, you're gonna get two in 15 minutes."
  — Radio Host 2 [02:19]

• Regarding adapting the test:

  "If your kid likes chocolate or whatever... It's more the message behind them really wanting whatever that is in front of them and being able to hold out for just a couple of minutes."
  — Radio Host 2 [04:47]

• On the test’s adult version:

  "We could set up a whole bunch of patron shots for you. You can have this patron shot right now, or you can have two in 15 minutes. And I think I would probably fail miserably."
  — Radio Host 2 [05:41]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:28: Introduction to the marshmallow test concept
• 01:45: Ideal age range for the test and reference to demonstration video
• 02:18: Initial outcomes and emphasis on self-discipline as key takeaway
• 03:19: Longitudinal research findings and significance
• 03:41: Questioning the granularity of results (percentages, in-betweeners)
• 04:47: Adaptations for different preferences and humorous anecdotes
• 05:29: Humorous comparison to adult scenarios and family gatherings

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Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode maintains The Bert Show’s signature blend of authenticity, humor, and practical advice. The hosts manage to break down significant academic research into actionable, everyday parenting tips while maintaining a light, self-deprecating style.

For listeners, the key message is that the marshmallow test is less about labeling a child and more about providing insight into their developing self-discipline—and, most importantly, that self-discipline can be taught and nurtured for greater success in the future.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Radio Host 1]

3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra.

[Radio Host 2]

See full [e-mail] the Birch Stanford say that there is an easy in home test you can do with your kids tonight to determine if they're more apt to be successful in school and in life. And it's just going to take you two marshmallows. And they say the genius of this experiment was that they follow children for 18 years after they gave them this experiment. And there was, this was an amazingly strong predictor of their success in school and their adjustment, their happiness and even in their popularity.

[Radio Host 1]

What difference does it make if you

[Radio Host 2]

know, if you know what?

[Radio Host 1]

Oh, if they're gonna be success, do you think you can change their fate?

[Radio Host 2]

I think with the results of this test you can, you can fix it. Okay. Alright. Here is the test and it's so easy. You're gonna go, how in the world is that gonna be any kind of indication on how your kids are gonna be successful? Here's what you do. You place one marshmallow in front of your kid, okay? You then say to your child, you can eat this marshmallow now or you can wait until I come back and I'll give you two marshmallows and then you leave the room for 15 minutes. Now, 15 minutes to a 5 year old or a 6 year old, that is eternity right there.

[Radio Host 1]

Is that the age where you're supposed to do the test?

[Radio Host 2]

It doesn't exactly say, let's see, 11 kids, they say toddler age. So what are we talking about? 4, 5, 6, 3, 4, 5, yeah, 2, 3, I think 3, 4, 5, something like that. And I've got a link up to this on our website where they did this test on a TV station in Minnesota. So it'll give you a better indicator how old the kids were. But I think you know, three, four, five years old. Okay, so you take off from the room and you see what your kid will do. In their Test in Minnesota, 11 kids who took part four ate the marshmallow within the first minute.

[Radio Host 1]

Okay?

[Radio Host 2]

0 self discipline whatsoever. Here's what they, here's why they say that this experiment is so important. Says they're not predicting that any of these kids are gonna be either good at self discipline or not. What we really wanna do is help parents try to figure out how we can help our kids develop more self discipline. Because we do know that from a ton of research, and this is coming right from Stanford, from a ton of research, that self discipline is a key success factor for kids. The ability to say no to themselves. So you're placing them in an atmosphere where they are totally responsible for their own actions. And you're saying, look, if you could just hold out for a little bit here, you're gonna get twice as much in 15 minutes or whatever. So if the kid takes the marshmallow immediately, you can start to teach him some self discipline by going, look, you're gonna get two in 15 minutes. And with that self discipline, it's a sure predictor that they'll be more successful in school and more successful in life.

[Radio Host 1]

Instead of sleeping in when you want to sleep in, you get up and go to work.

[Radio Host 2]

They follow these kids for 18 years. 18 years. And the research showed that if you can teach them to be self disciplined during this one test, I don't know what their definition of successful is in the future, but if you could teach them this one test and have them be self disciplined for 15 minutes, that they're more apt to be successful later on in life. And it makes sense, right?

[Radio Host 3]

That's fair.

[Radio Host 1]

Yeah, it definitely makes sense.

[Radio Host 3]

Did it give you a percentage? Is it like 80%, 90, or is it like 51%?

[Radio Host 2]

It didn't. It came in the form of a book. So I think what they're doing is they're teasing you here to go get the book. And I have a link on, over to that on our website also. So they're not giving you everything obviously, right. But they just give you the gist of it is again, you sit your toddler down, put a marshmallow in front of the toddler and say, look, you can eat this right now if you want, or you can wait and when I come back, you can have two marshmallows. So it's right there in front of them. That's your reward for holding out. And then you leave the room and you see what they do.

[Radio Host 1]

So the first batch, you said out of 11, four of them ate it right away. What, like, did they do different? Was there like a medium one that did it after, I don't know, 10 minutes?

[Radio Host 2]

Or you got to buy the book. I think. I think this is their tease to

[Radio Host 1]

buy the book because I would like to see how many of them resisted it until the entire 15 minutes was up.

[Radio Host 2]

I think.

[Radio Host 1]

And what that predicts about that kid or if you were somewhere in between. Like, it wasn't the first minute, it wasn't the 15th minute, but it was 10 minutes in. They were like, all right, I held out this long, now I gotta have the marshmallow.

[Radio Host 2]

I think, hey, I think my 6 year old would pass it. I'm looking at my 18 month old and he's so wild already. He's so different than Hayden when he gets a little older. I don't see him passing this test. I think he's more like his dad. Good morning, Nadine. You're on Q100. Yeah. Are you in trouble if your kid doesn't like marshmallows? I don't think so. Yeah, I think you can if your kid likes chocolate or whatever. I think it's. It's more the message behind them really wanting whatever that is in front of them and being able to hold out for just a couple of minutes. Okay. There's about 16 toddlers in my family, so I'm gonna be doing this session for everyone. There's a lot of toddlers in my family. That's good.

[Radio Host 3]

That's what you want to do, is

[Radio Host 2]

you want to sort.

[Radio Host 3]

You want to sort the kids. All right. Okay. You want to sort the kids out early. You want to be able to separate them. So not only at Thanksgiving, you have a kids table, a smart kids table, and a dumb kids table.

[Radio Host 2]

Oh, we could do this also. We could go to East Andrews and we could set up a whole bunch of patron shots for you. You can have this patron shot right now, or you can have two in 15 minutes. And I think I would probably fail miserably. The bird show.