Things you can’t believe your teenager doesn’t know

[Annoyingwurringnoise]

My teenage DS, who went to a Church of England primary school, does not know the song Little Donkey. I am utterly perplexed as to how this can possibly be. He’s been a donkey twice in nativity plays, once at preschool and once at school, but he swears he doesn’t remember Little Donkey.

What things have you found out your teenagers don’t know that’s just left you scratching your head in disbelief?

If my 14 year old couldn’t tell the time, I’d be worried and spend every day teaching them.

This is a bizarre thread. Teenagers not knowing who Cameron Diaz is?
I wonder how familiar posters were with celebrities of many years before they were born?

I don't find it bizarre. I, and most of my contemporaries, did know about people, and things that happened, and the way life was, in my parents', and even grand-parents' time, but young people today seem to know nothing other than what is happening now, and are not at all interested. I have often discussed it with a friend who is 10 years younger, and they think the same.

My 15 year old nephew was watching I'm a celeb, and asked 'why would they put snakes in the jungle, near all those famous people'

He eyed us suspiciously when we said that the snakes belonged there.

My parents told me before first job I'd lose roughly a third in tax - first summer job I got actual cash in a payslip. Have mentioned this to eldest two and mentioned National insurance whether it gone in I'm not so sure.

I learnt about VAT on bought goods in GCSE computer science as it had just changed so it was an example of not fixing data that could change - kids know about VAT because of Jaffa cakes and VAT saga.

They were a bit taken back a while ago to find even if they lost their jobs they'd still need to pay rent and other bills - hence need to have savings as bills don't just stop.

Touche - typed the wrong word!

When my daughter was in year 6, her primary school teacher taught the class that blood is blue.

I couldn’t believe it. I had to correct the teacher at parents evening the following week and then he sent out an email to all the parents correcting his position on blue blood. It turns out he genuinely thought that blood in the body is blue and turns red when it hits the air!

No you wouldn't.
If they were bright enough they'd learn it quickly when shown.
If they struggled to do it, there would be loads more critical things they would probably also struggle with (like gcse maths) and you would have to spend your time on them instead.

my son has no idea who des o Connor is he is 20
Young girl I work with had no idea who Ken Barlow is
I asked a young work colleague did he know what a typewriter is of course I do he said indignantly
It's hard to know with the youngster quite what they do know !!

My 23 yr old uni grad DC struggles to tell the time even now - gave up years ago on that! Also counts on their fingers...

A few years back in a school exam, they answered the question, "where was Jesus born?" - "Jerusalem!" came the reply....

The older two have always astounded me by their knowledge of older music, complete with lyrics. Apparently there's a lot of it in Shrek, for example...

Well, actually you're both wrong. He had a heavy day and a precious load.

I bloody would @TeenDivided ! DDs had friends that couldn’t tell the time. How will they cope in life?

I know an 18 year old who is doing a sociology a level that didn’t know who Karl marx was. That blew my mind.

I’m 33 and I don’t know the Lord’s Prayer or any of the words (other than god save the Queen) of our national anthem so neither do my children.

DS (19) is a clever lad (3grade A A'levels), but he is proper daft sometimes.
He told us he would be terrified if he ever met a penguin as they are taller than him. We were all completely befuddled at that (he is 6'3") and asked him how he knew that, he said he remembered meeting one at the zoo and it was definitely taller than him.
He was 3 at that penguin meet and greet 😂

I’m 32 and grew up heavily conservative christian with a thick emphasis of the importance of christmas and nativity and don’t remember this song. Idk maybe it got lost in sea of everything else. 🤷🏻‍♀️

😂me too!

Admittedly we live abroad, but my teenager would not believe that a Lollipop Lady was an actual thing vs some kind of elaborate joke.

Even in exam halls it is all digital displays.

Watches seem to be discouraged - as in exam halls they don't want them- and be teen years they have phones.

I spent time with mine teaching mine - and going over - in teen sthey can do it though usually convert to digital- but it's not the vital skill once needed.

When my daughter was in year 6, her primary school teacher taught the class that blood is blue.
I couldn’t believe it. I had to correct the teacher at parents evening the following week and then he sent out an email to all the parents correcting his position on blue blood. It turns out he genuinely thought that blood in the body is blue and turns red when it hits the air!

They tired to teach mine tomatoes were Roman - despite fact they come form New world like potatoes - and that castle were never built near rivers but rivers moved over time - now rivers do move but local castle were built next to important rivers here and kids knew about water gates - most famous being in tower of London traitors gate. We watch a lot of history programs so the kids knew better.

My 15year old DD couldn’t believe the fact that words beginning with qu then have a vowel as the next letter. She said she’d never thought about it before. She told all her friends who were equally astounded!

I was also taught that blood in veins was blue and turned red when oxygenated… but know know otherwise thanks to this thread!

in my year 7 geography homework back in the late 90s I Coloured in the whole land mass of Ireland as one colour, not realising that Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland existed as 2 separate countries. 😳

I can't be in the kitchen when my 15.5 year old is cooking. It's soul destroying. Certainly shows me my failures as a parent. It's like her common sense regresses to toddler levels.

@Hadsuchahardday that is taught in phonics. Whether they listen or not is another matter.

I know that blood is red.

But somewhere along the line I do remember something about blood in a vein or something being blue. The turning red when it hits the air rings a bell. Maybe I wasbusy mooning over 6th formers during gcse pe.

Got A* gcse science though!

We did a Christmas quiz on the 25th and there was a question about Bruce Willis, my 14yo niece didn’t know who he was 😳