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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that my child is rubbish?

176 replies

nevergooglebrandybutter · 04/02/2015 13:17

My children are brilliant at lots of things, but having sat through another painful swimming lesson yesterday where they seem to be swimming WORSE after hundreds of pounds worth of lessons, I fear I have to finally concede that MY CHILDREN ARE SHIT AT SWIMMING.

There I said it. Can we just take a moment to think about this? Why is it so hard to just admit that our kids are crap at stuff.

No stealth boasts allowed (ie, my child is shit at being shit) but you can balance it out with something they are good at to help ease your conscience.

So,
DS1 is shit at swimming, but brilliant at cycling of all disciplines.
DS2 is shit at swimming, but brilliant on the violin and ukulele.
DS3 is shit at feeding himself, but has a very charming toothy grin.

Your turn.

OP posts:
Debs75 · 05/02/2015 10:40

DD1 (19) Shit at anything which requires common sense, balance and coordination. Shit at French yet brilliant at Chinese. Learnt to swim and ride a bike yet now can not swim or ride a bike without falling off yet can ride a horse really well and rarely falls off.
DS1 (16) Has autism so shit at speaking, tolerating others, sleeping and perceiving danger. Brilliant at swimming, running, cycling. Is lightning fast at jigsaws and gives amazing hugs
DD2 (6) Shit at cycling, controlling her temper and lying, she puts on the most honest sincere face and me and DH just fall about laughing. Brilliant at swimming, no lessons since we did waterbabies at 4 months for a year. She can swim underwater, sit on the bottom and do somersaults
DD3(4) Shit at toileting and going a day without crying or falling over. Brilliant at being polite and gymnastics, oddly enough

SweepTheHalls · 05/02/2015 10:44

DS 1is shit at sitting still, but awesome at being fearless and funny and reading. (yes DS:s teachers, he is free at lots of things - glare-)

SweepTheHalls · 05/02/2015 10:45

But Jee, what is she brilliant at?

BirdintheWings · 05/02/2015 10:55

Debs -- I love the image of a gymnast who falls over twice on the way to the mat, then whizzes into a fearless gym routine!

TwinkieTwinkle · 05/02/2015 11:02

DS shit at football but brilliant at skiing. Thank goodness he prefers skiing!

Miggsie · 05/02/2015 11:03

DD still struggles to blow her nose - she's 11

she is considered academically gifted - there is no connection at all between some skills and others, there just isn't.

Don't get me started on the tying of shoe laces....

Didactylos · 05/02/2015 11:11

jeee, I cannot skip Blush
despite having competed nationally in a sport famous for its balance and coordination requirements, I have never mastered skipping
I also am completely unable to click my fingers though in fairness thats mostly a sensory thing

jeee · 05/02/2015 11:17

That's interesting Didactylos, 'cos actually DD's pretty good at sport (county cross country champion, fantastic at football). She's just excrutiatingly bad at skipping!

Bluetone · 05/02/2015 11:23

My Dd 7 is terrible at maths. She just doesn't get it. She struggles with number bonds of 10/20 and has been moved down a group just yesterday.

I've spent hours sitting with her using pennies/counters etc but she doesn't get it! Ask her 7+3 and she still uses her fingers.

She's not so great with swimming either. Her first year of lessons she was leaving the pool with dry hair still!

She is a great little gymnast and dancer though...

ThereisnoFinWay · 05/02/2015 11:25

DS1 (4) is shit at throwing and catching and swimming but good at reading, numbers, lego and cycling.

DS2 (20m) is shit at keeping his temper (tantrums and bites and throws and hits) but is good at throwing (must be all the practice!) and is utterly, utterly charming.

Bikerunski and unis you forgot trials Grin

MamaLazarou · 05/02/2015 11:25

DS aged 5 is shit at sharing (only child) but can sew, paint, lay the table, drill a hole, sweep, mop and hoover, and always keeps his bedroom tidy.

bigpigsmum · 06/02/2015 16:30

DS is a good strong swimmer, when we pointed out he should continue with lessons so he could help those who found themselves in trouble in water his response was 'Well they should have learned to swim!'

He's shit at being compassionate no time for fools.

He can argue pretty well too, shit at knowing when to shut up, like during a film!

whoreandpeace · 06/02/2015 16:34

DD1 (18) - brilliant at swimming and netball - rubbish at her own admin (eg sorting out how to log online to her bank account).
DS - (14) - brilliant at maths and physics - but is always losing and forgetting things and just doesn't get English lessons at school and is shit at swimming. Is very kind and has loads of empathy. Will make lovely partner one day.
DD2 (11) - brilliant at piano, good at swimming, great at getting on with homework, but cannot get herself ready in time in the morning EVER regardless of how early I wake her. Not good at remembering to say 'please' or 'thankyou' and that makes me sad.

UniS · 06/02/2015 17:11

Thereisnoway , sorry bout that. I forget that trials happens on two wheels as well as one! My first exposure to it was unicycle trials. I came late to two wheels.

DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 06/02/2015 17:13

DS1 is shit at reaching his full potential he is really good at swimming and football he has been offered places in various squads but doesn't want to join them

Reads like stealth to me...

DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 06/02/2015 17:14

My DD is terrible at doing any homework, but brilliant at baking.

Leonas · 06/02/2015 20:36

My dd is shit at identifying body parts (points to the same place for every one!) but is fabulously sociable and is brilliant at chatting people up when we are out. She also gives beautiful cuddles at just the right times to detract from general naughtiness. 14months is a wonderful age :)

CocktailQueen · 06/02/2015 21:45

Dd (11) is shit at netball. Not aggressive enough! She's also shit at being nice to DS a lot of the time :( and getting ready in the mornings.
But she's seriously brilliant at English - she writes like an adult - and all round academic stuff. And gymnastics!

DS (7) is shit at sitting still at the table for a meal, concentrating (unless he's interested), writing. But he's brilliant at football, running, hand-eye coordination, is so enthusiastic and kind, and gives the best cuddles ever.

They are so different! Love them both.

Definitelynomore · 10/02/2015 21:15

DD (6) is shit at art but nonetheless approaches every project and everything else in life with endless imagination and enthusiasm.

It's difficult to tell what DS is shit at. His talking is fairly crap (he's 2y 4m) but am beginning to suspect that he just can't be arsed. Won't go near a potty either but he is the happiest child I have ever known and I don't ever want him to lose that!

OublietteBravo · 10/02/2015 21:24

DD is tone deaf and therefore shit at singing, but she is really good at public speaking.

DS is shit at riding a bike, but totally rocks when it comes to running and swimming.

Biscuitsneeded · 10/02/2015 21:28

My children are shit at remembering to bring anything like homework, coats, cardigans, lunchboxes, spellings, costumes, party invitations etc home. Utterly shit.

However, DS1 (9) is fabulously emotionally intelligent and a great conversationalist. Ds 2 (just 8) is just adorable. He marches to the beat of his own drum and is 100% comfortable in his own skin. Both of them have loads of friends and are kind, funny, polite boys. I couldn't be any prouder of them.

Wotsitsareafterme · 10/02/2015 21:30

Dd2 is shit at any kind of tolerance or waiting.
But she's determined to be entuty independent including removing nappies and attempting to wipe her own bum on the changing table Grin
She's 2 Grin

pinksomething · 13/02/2015 11:18

DS has a lovely tuneful singing voice but DD usually sounds like a cat being stood on. (tbf she's not that bad but she certainly isn't in tune!!)
When I told my sister that DD can't hold a tune for toffee she was horrified that I was putting DD down. Then she heard her sing and realised that she was indeed awful and she was quite impressed with my realistic grasp of my children's abilities!!

hennipenni · 13/02/2015 13:26

All of my DD's (3 of them) are shit at tidying up after themselves but excel at making a mess in the first placeHmm

Roomba · 13/02/2015 15:29

DS1 is very clever, but he just cannot seem to learn how to ride a bike! He's 9 and we've been trying for years. He is shit at swimming too, bless him.

DS2 finds it impossible to speak at a normal volume. Everything is shrieked or yelled at an earsplitting level (had his ears checked, he's fine). Even when he whispers it is actually a shout.