Kids seem so slow these days ! What's up with that ?

Originally posted by Bone75

Originally posted by Manhater


I figured I would save myself the trouble and the headache, by not having one.

You'll never truly understand unconditional love until you have at least one.

Yeah, but I've seen the way they've turned out.

Makes me scared to even think, how my will turn out.

WTH..are you for real...11 and just learning to tie shoes...

I have young family members..nieces and nephews (no children of my own) that are learning at a very fast rate...in fact I just made a comment about it to another family member...i asked "do you think children are learning or becoming more mature these days"


I have no clue what type of people you hang out with...but maybe they should spend less time with the conspiracy websites or complaining and more time with the kids.

Not only my young family members smart but I have also noticed other peoples children to be rather intelligent also.

This is in Canada...maybe it is the American children that are mentally challenged because I have no clue as to what the OP is talking about.

I mean ...c'mon..11 yrs old and just now learning to tie his shoes....that is just sickening...I know of no child in my circle of family and friends who has not mastered that skill by age 6 or less...

This really must be only an American issue...

Originally posted by Bone75

Originally posted by Manhater


I figured I would save myself the trouble and the headache, by not having one.

You'll never truly understand unconditional love until you have at least one.

Those are some of the wisest words I've read on ATS. Hold on I have to get the belt out again. You damn kids !

Oh hell did I write that out loud ?

Originally posted by kerazeesicko
WTH..are you for real...11 and just learning to tie shoes...

I have young family members..nieces and nephews (no children of my own) that are learning at a very fast rate...in fact I just made a comment about it to another family member...i asked "do you think children are learning or becoming more mature these days"


I have no clue what type of people you hang out with...but maybe they should spend less time with the conspiracy websites or complaining and more time with the kids.

Not only my young family members smart but I have also noticed other peoples children to be rather intelligent also.

This is in Canada...maybe it is the American children that are mentally challenged because I have no clue as to what the OP is talking about.

I mean ...c'mon..11 yrs old and just now learning to tie his shoes....that is just sickening...I know of no child in my circle of family and friends who has not mastered that skill by age 6 or less...

This really must be only an American issue...

edit on 25-1-2012 by kerazeesicko because: CUZ I CAN

Alright ,you can shut up now. Damn smart alec canadian know it alls.

Turn OFF the T.V.
Take away ELECTRONIC DEVICES.

Go to a Park.
Have the kids physical.

Visit a Library.


Toys?

Lincoln Logs........Lego's..(worked for me) Boys
Dolls(Not Barbies,Bratz,etc) Girls


Be surprised how a kid acts the next few weeks.


S&F

reply to post by sonnny1


I know, some parents act like it's going to kill them if they do that. Like 20 minutes is not going to hurt you. Her child asked to go the park the other day and her mom was like, "mommy don't feel well", yet, again. (no surprise there). And, I'm just saying to myself, like 20 minutes is not going to kill you to go to a park and let her play.

It's like dragging a stubborn dog on a leash to go for a walk. "No, I'm not going. You can't make me. I'm going to sit right here, until you do what I want." - "I am the master, you are my slave."

Originally posted by biggmoneyme
i noticed boys are smaller nowadays. A friend of mine's little brother and his friend were at her house. They looked 11-12 but i later found out they're 16.

That happens. When I was a freshman in High School the Senior class was really tiny. Several of the Seniors on the football team tried to continue the tradition of being the school jerks. That didn't end well for them(they would run around trying to knock books from freshman hands as they ran past in a line, was almost like watching domino's fall over lol).

Now if you get several age groups in a row that are tiny, might be something in the water.

its because kids these days arent really kids, they dont get dirty out in the mud on a rainy day, they wear helmets riding their bikes, they dont run around the pool or learn anything the hard way like we did..

every thing is safety safety safety, which in the short term is good thinking, but long term it creates this. slow kids.

mixed with everything everyone has said so far, I believe that keeping kids TOO safe is what makes them slow, they never scrape their knees and feel the pain to learn to never do it again like that. just my opinion.

from what I remember about kid me, I loved seeing new things always, I spent half my childhood adventuring every direction, wherever I lived. I learned about life fairly quickly by doing everything wrong first. it's been all good since

i've been rewatching the original twilight zone series recently and just seeing how people spoke and handled themselves in the 50's-60's compared to now got me to thinking the same thing as the op. i think the majority of kids are becoming more stupid. instead of turning to a thesaurus to broaden their vocabulary they are using slang, acronyms and other shorthand which is narrowing the ability to express a thought properly IMO. its like orwell's 1984. i'm no pedantic scholar myself and i know my grammar and lack of punctuation can make me appear hypocritical but i assure you it is a conscious decision. im tired.

reply to post by randyvs


I personally think many children are slow...not because they are not intelligent...but because of nutrition. They are being fed...overly processed foods. Sugary soda"s...in one can of pop there is around 16 teaspoons of sugar. The ingredients in the majority of processed foods has very little real nutritional value... if any. Many children are not getting proper exercise; they are not motivated because of the inadequate nutrition they are eating...plus they are not getting the vitamins they need.

(A side note: I learned to tie my shoes when I was 4...my sister was 7 at the time and I taught her.)

Originally posted by sligtlyskeptical
Kids today just have different skills. I bet if you put a pack of them together and sent them out to the wild they would fare better than a similar pack of kids 50 years earlier. There is significantly more general knowledge in their heads than kids had 50 years ago.

You think that a kid which cannot even tie their shoes would survive in the wild? Pretty funny...

So I am currently teaching the youngsters in the neighborhood to do old fashioned story telling via pen and paper role playing games. And in the process I have discovered the appalling state of public education.

For instance one [color=gold] teenager, when I asked him what he had rolled on three six sided dice, he hemmed and hawed for a few minutes until one of the other players answered for him. I realized that he was in High School and [color=gold] he didn't know how to add.

So I took his character sheet and wrote a number line down the side of it. Had him count and place each dice until he reached the total. We played three times that week by the second day he was adding on his own and by the end of the week he was getting faster. It's not that he wasn't capable. My conclusion is that no one had taken the time with him.

Other kids in the neighborhood who are more into rap, I invite in and use my computer to record them and then make little music video's for them with Sony Vegas. They love it, and have even started writing down their lyrics.

I never let any kid into the house without parental permission, and never alone. There always has to be two of them, at least. No solo adventures. They don't understand it, but have just accepted the requirement and always make sure to bring a friend when they come over.

So... what are you doing?


David Grouchy

Alright I have noticed this with my girlfriends 11 year old son.

His mum is a Generation X she is 35 I am 26, she can be very stubborn at times especially when it comes to her sons education, by letting him stay home from school, not getting involved in his learning activity's .

Sometimes its very hard when I try and discipline him, she cuts in and makes a fool out of me.
"Like quit it the both of you" Like I am the child and have no input at helping her son progress.
The kids never going to take me seriously, if she has to make me look like a child.

He will yell back at me when I am calmly explaining to him that he needs to do a chore.
he has a lack of adventure, hangs around home all day inside when its sunny, He can't even sit still for 2 mins. His in out in out in out of the front door, while his here the hinges might wear out soon,

frustrates me when I try teach him respect for his olders, he don't understand manners, I'm trying to teach him manners but its hard when his mum has none either and expects all the time.

Today he wanted 5 dollars I gave him 5 dollars at this Australian day picnic that had kids rides told him that was all he was getting for the day. He comes back later after spending his money on a stupid jumping castle, demanding me for more money when I had told him to spend it wisely. Now he knew that he wasn't getting anymore money so why ask me.

It takes awhile to drum information into him, Also his a bit naive and will believe any story you tell him , I'm pretty scared for him and how his going to turn out.

Worries me a little his a good kid, but just a bit misguided.
I'm trying, I'm trying, his fathers trying also. its basically me and him drumming the correct stuff into him and his mother is I feel misguiding him.

Sometimes I feel like giving up on our relationship.

sorry if this sounds a little bit all over the place, I'm exhausted, working in the hot sun and putting up with my girlfriends mood swings, talk about running in circles.

Originally posted by sligtlyskeptical
Kids today just have different skills. I bet if you put a pack of them together and sent them out to the wild they would fare better than a similar pack of kids 50 years earlier. There is significantly more general knowledge in their heads than kids had 50 years ago.

Bull hockey:We ( 50 year olds) "played" sunup to sundown in the woods; fishing; chasing small animals; building "forts".Riding& fixing bicycles/ minibikes/ two-stroke dirt bikes...
Most importantly staying out of trouble.

Texting"? (rotary dial phones?) A "gamer" packed a thick leather glove; a ball and a stick!
my "slow"(challenged) 7 year old nephew got an Ipod and some"apps" for xmas...

reply to post by randyvs


there's no mom at home making it her full-time job to teach the kids their life lessons. everybody gets a "participation" trophy just for showing up. no one is rewarded for being the best anymore. it's not the kids; it's the baby boomers. they grew up watching their nazi-slaying fathers produce one of the biggest powerhouse economies of all time and thought things would just happen for/to them as they grew up. Then they got sad after they realized that Korea and Vietnam were NOT WW2, drove the economy off a cliff and let their bratty little kids grow up and help make the 80's full of coke and capital gains. now, the babies of the baby boomers are grown up and use their iPhone's as babysitters.

reply to post by amraks


"he has a lack of adventure, hangs around home all day inside when its sunny, He can't even sit still for 2 mins. His in out in out in out of the front door,"

so...which is it? he can't be both in the house all day AND in and out the front door. your entire post, aside from mom making you look foolish for trying to be the enforcer, sounds pretty standard for young kids.

I think a lot of this comes from the fact that we don't listen to the kids, and we don't pay enough attention when they are talking. even if they're not speaking directly to us, we should always be listening, waiting for teachable moments.

just keep your frustration in check, stay confident that you're doing what's right (or at least what's best) for the boy and continue to hold his feet to the flames. and next time his mother tries to stop you from helping the boy, show her who's boss! if he sees you stick up for yourself and put her "in her place" (verbally, of course) it'll build his respect for you and help your relationship.

also, i think it's cool how you have respect for the kids dad and view him as a peer or partner. swallowing your pride in order to put a kid first is what REAL MEN do!

Originally posted by amraks
Alright I have noticed this with my girlfriends 11 year old son.

His mum is a Generation X she is 35 I am 26, she can be very stubborn at times especially when it comes to her sons education, by letting him stay home from school, not getting involved in his learning activity's .

Sometimes its very hard when I try and discipline him, she cuts in and makes a fool out of me.
"Like quit it the both of you" Like I am the child and have no input at helping her son progress.
The kids never going to take me seriously, if she has to make me look like a child.

He will yell back at me when I am calmly explaining to him that he needs to do a chore.
he has a lack of adventure, hangs around home all day inside when its sunny, He can't even sit still for 2 mins. His in out in out in out of the front door, while his here the hinges might wear out soon,

frustrates me when I try teach him respect for his olders, he don't understand manners, I'm trying to teach him manners but its hard when his mum has none either and expects all the time.

Today he wanted 5 dollars I gave him 5 dollars at this Australian day picnic that had kids rides told him that was all he was getting for the day. He comes back later after spending his money on a stupid jumping castle, demanding me for more money when I had told him to spend it wisely. Now he knew that he wasn't getting anymore money so why ask me.

It takes awhile to drum information into him, Also his a bit naive and will believe any story you tell him , I'm pretty scared for him and how his going to turn out.

Worries me a little his a good kid, but just a bit misguided.
I'm trying, I'm trying, his fathers trying also. its basically me and him drumming the correct stuff into him and his mother is I feel misguiding him.

Sometimes I feel like giving up on our relationship.

sorry if this sounds a little bit all over the place, I'm exhausted, working in the hot sun and putting up with my girlfriends mood swings, talk about running in circles.

No one can tell another man what to do ! But if you give up on the relationship ? Remember ,that's exactly what you will be doing. Giving up.

Originally posted by RicoMarston
reply to post by amraks

 

"he has a lack of adventure, hangs around home all day inside when its sunny, He can't even sit still for 2 mins. His in out in out in out of the front door,"

so...which is it? he can't be both in the house all day AND in and out the front door. your entire post, aside from mom making you look foolish for trying to be the enforcer, sounds pretty standard for young kids.

I think a lot of this comes from the fact that we don't listen to the kids, and we don't pay enough attention when they are talking. even if they're not speaking directly to us, we should always be listening, waiting for teachable moments.

just keep your frustration in check, stay confident that you're doing what's right (or at least what's best) for the boy and continue to hold his feet to the flames. and next time his mother tries to stop you from helping the boy, show her who's boss! if he sees you stick up for yourself and put her "in her place" (verbally, of course) it'll build his respect for you and help your relationship.

also, i think it's cool how you have respect for the kids dad and view him as a peer or partner. swallowing your pride in order to put a kid first is what REAL MEN do!

Damn good post right there. I agree.

reply to post by k1k1to

its crazy how they seem to know all the WRONG adult things, though

The "wrong adult things" are what generally make it to the media, whether that be TV, the internet, newspapers, magazines, movies...


btw: your avatar is both entertaining and scary as hell.

reply to post by randyvs


hi op
my daughter is 5
shes had 2 heart surgerys and a throat op
and awaiting another throat op
dont compare your wee one to others
my ex does that and it winds me up
some children are slower than others
dont compare m8
dave