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?

These are great. I suppose we can’t expect teenagers to know things unless we teach them, and I do think it’s important to have a basic religious knowledge, even though I’m not religious in the slightest. I shall definitely remember to teach any GC Little Donkey, just in case.

bearing in mind that my DS is massively into the Beatles and I have an extensive collection of Beatles records, he didn’t know that the original Thomas the Tank Engine was narrated by Ringo Starr. That was definitely a classic moment of how the hell do you not know that? Oh yeah, it was way before your time so you wouldn’t know unless somebody told you. You can rest assured that he has now been told.

You're so right!

MissPiggysPinkDress

Not my teenager, but I was in the supermarket and the young lad that was scanning my shopping looked ever so confused when he got the courgettes.

I was in Morrisons once and wonder of wonders! They had broad beans in pods. The lady at the till, about 50, looked in confusion and asked what they were. I told her and she said, "Oh, I thought they were sprouts. My dad grew sprouts."

I popped one open and showed her the beans, she'd never seen them before!

Makes me feel slightly better, we're in the middle of Manchester and Liverpool

I was in asda and asked a member of staff where to find courgettes and he didn't know what they were

I think not knowing random celebrities from 'before their time' is very different from not knowing core history or basic things like posting a letter.

With history timelines we explicitly taught our DDs to think of clues - eg we know Tudors came before Victorians because Tudors didn't have trains.

I expect there are major holes in my DD's education around anything musical as we've never been bothered about it, and probably UK geography (which maybe I should test and rectify.)

I’m afraid the laughs on you. The second verse goes

little donkey little donkey had a busy day

It doesn't really matter so much if someone doesn't know celebrities or even religion.

But they should know about money/finances/income tax/mortgages/ how to vote and how to use a tin opener.

My teen didn't know what the tallest mountain in the uk was. They have passed it a few times!

I don't think teens now know enough basic facts about history and geography. Like adults that go on holiday to places they couldn't even remotely point to in a map.

I did a Christmas sing bingo with year 7, so many of them didn’t know the names of the songs-fair enough. But half of them didn’t know how to play bingo!

I think this is a very valid point.

I listen to Radio 4, and I pick up all sorts of random stuff, as I end up listening to programmes I would never actively search for. Similarly in the 'old days' with less choice of TV you'd watch things randomly to unwind.

Tbf she is completely unrecognisable these days.

I remember that everyone in my class knew the tallest hill in Cornwall.

I have been amazed how many of the young staff (aged 18 or a bit over) at our local can't operate a corkscrew. They have a few wines but only a few have corks, without fail they either fetch the landlord/cellar man/chef to open the bottle or make an absolute hash of it. I've even opened it myself before!

Oh come on this has to be a wind up

no it isn't! have you read the thread, he is certainly not alone at his age never having bought or used stamps, or letters

On the other side of this, I remember taking a job application to the chemist to be faxed, as they provided this service in the good old days. I was very surprised that, once done, they gave me the job application back. I was really under the impression that it had set off down the telephone line somehow 😂

I have read the thread, but I’m pretty shocked that people have never sent their young kids out to post a letter EVER. Really? I know we don’t post things much any more but I’ve definitely taught my children how to address an envelope, put a stamp on and take it to the letter box.

One of DD's friends has recently gone to private school and she was describing how different(superior) the educational experiences were compared to the state school, one of which was musical where the pupils learnt about opera. I was quite impressed as they are only 11 and asked her which Opera, she replied, 'le Miserable' - the British pronunciation of the word, so despite a whole day on this activity, the pronunciation wasn't correct and it was clear from conversation that the story was not understood! I also found it quite worrying that a fee paying school doesn't know what an Opera is.

They may have never posted a letter but have they ever wondered what that mysterious thing is in the door where post comes through and asked "Well how does that work?"

What is seen a ‘basic thing’ changes over time. Just remember that next time you need help setting up some basic technology like a phone, laptop etc.

We’re only a few generations removed from people churning their own butter, so I trust you do that every morning?

Have they ever looked at the letterbox when a letter comes through it and questioned how the system works?

My 30-ish neighbour, quite posh, told her cat was called Dillon. She added "D-I-L-L-O-N, after Bob the old singer, you know - Blowin' in the Wind".

well yes, I was surprised and shocked when I asked my son to post something to me, and he had no idea how. Particularly for online shoppers and sellers like my kids! But I suppose parcel pick up and drop off is done in all sorts of places not involving post boxes. We dont send cards. Most mail is from businesses, and franked, not stamped

as very young children, my sons wrote thank you letters, and post cards, but whether they ever saw my actually post them, I'm not sure. They have forgotton if they did

@Nimbostratus100 and others may be interested to know that chronology is now specifically addressed in the national curriculum for history, the first aim of which is to;

"know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world"

www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study