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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think a 5 year old should not be in a computer programming course for 6-10 year olds?

40 replies

DingbatsFur · 23/04/2016 13:23

Hello,
I managed to get tickets for my sons (7&9) to go to a local further education college on a saturday morning to learn programming. It's a lego mindstorm if anyone cares.
They run a course on lego for 6-10 year olds and advise younger children can do a beebot.
On day 1 we we paired with a man and his son. The son could not be arsed about the programming. He spent the first session jamming a lego minifigure into the workings of the robot. The father is very interested in the robot so spends his time programming it, while I try to distract his kid.
Second session was much the same.
3rd one he smashed the robot causing my 9 year old to weep.
4th session I hear the guy talking and find out his son is 5. He is too young for the class, so never should have been there, but the dad thought he liked robots and building so enrolled him anyhow.
I was so frustrated today by trying to keep my sons engaged and stop his kid wrecking the robot that I nearly left and hour early.
What also peeves me is the kid has robbed a child who could be engaged of a place on the course.
Bah.

OP posts:
Kariana · 23/04/2016 13:27

This is awful! Have you spoken to the person running the course about this? It's not fair that this child is ruining it for others, regardless of his age.

zoomtothespoon · 23/04/2016 13:30

I think they given that he was clearly disinterested he shouldn't have been in the class but I disagree that because he was 5 he should be in the class- if he waa engaged and a whizz you probably wouldn't have batted an eye lid

originalmavis · 23/04/2016 13:32

There's always one who tries to bring their 'terribly advanced' 3 year old into a much older class.

No problem if they are the right level, but bloody annoying (and probably frustrating for the child) for the other kids. Also very annoying when classes are oversubscribed.

Whoever is running the course should refund their money.

BettyBi0 · 23/04/2016 13:32

I'd say he should only have been there if he was very advanced for age. I'd be annoyed too

BettyBi0 · 23/04/2016 13:33

6-10 is a pretty big age bracket anyway

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 23/04/2016 13:34

Most annoying is that the child's father obviously wants to do the class himself and therefore has done nothing to stop his son ruining it for others.

The issue here is not the age of the child, but that he isn't remotely interested and his father won't control him.

noblegiraffe · 23/04/2016 13:37

The problem isn't the age of the child, it's the useless father.

AvaLeStrange · 23/04/2016 13:39

Tbf I think the problem is less the child's age and more his lack of interest and his father's lack of will/ability to parent him properly.

I'd definitely have a word with the people running the course though.

lborolass · 23/04/2016 13:42

Were the sessions supervised?

I think I'd have had a word with the organisers before it got as far as the 4th one tbh, reagrdless of the age of the child, your day would have been equally spolit if the child was 8. The dad sounds very selfish.

Original poster
DingbatsFur · 23/04/2016 13:59

Thanks, was v frustrated with it all this morning. Nearly turned to the dad and said something.
There is a supervisor but he is largely useless. He did come over when I said to my children that I'd had enough and we were going to leave but didn't ask why.
The lego build is like technical lego so you have to know what you're doing. Technical lego is pretty hard!

OP posts:
originalmavis · 23/04/2016 14:02

Who runs the classes? Is it worth emailing them? You might get some money back.

GreaseIsNotTheWord · 23/04/2016 14:03

Agree with a pp - the age really isn't the issue so YAB slightly U.

Both of mine have taken part in classes that are 'too old' for them. Ds2 (6) has done an indoor wall climbing class for 8-10 year olds because the one for his age group was just far too easy for him due to him being part human, part monkey

Ds1 (Year 3) is also part of the Year 5-6 Maths club at school.

I think that generally, classes should be based on ability, with rough age guidelines but not definitive cut off points.

But YANBU to be annoyed that this child has spoilt the class.

TheSolitaryWanderer · 23/04/2016 14:04

If it was advertised for 6-10, I'd expect at least 3 levels of differentiated activities and appropriate numbers of staff.
Sounds like the course was badly designed.

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2016 14:05

It sounds awful.

But I'm truly puzzled as to why you've attended 4 or 5 sessions, and still not complained to anyone? Confused

It's unlikely that your kids would have the confidence to complain, so you really need to step up to the mark for them.

sirfredfredgeorge · 23/04/2016 14:06

YABU to complain about the age.

YWNBU to have complained about the behaviour and father and course organisers if they'd not handled it if you talked to them.

Age standard cut offs are generally unfair, as they're about an arbitrary thing rather than need.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 23/04/2016 14:09

A 5yo with the ability to be there who was engaged with the course wouldnt have been a problem.

Any child who was not engaged with the course shouldn't have been there regardless of their age

originalmavis · 23/04/2016 14:11

We managed to get tickets to a kids RI lecture (evening in a school night) with a lower age limit (these are like gold dust).

There were some children there much younger than the cut off - fine, they looked engaged - but after about half an hour there were several sleeping children in the audience. A bit of a waste of money for the parents.

TeddTess · 23/04/2016 14:12

why did you put up with it after the first day?
i would definitely have asked/insisted to be moved.

it isn't about the age, that is an enormous age range anyway! yr1/2 children through to yr5/6?!

sleeponeday · 23/04/2016 14:21

The kid could have been 10 and behaving this way. The problem is the selfish father, not the kid. My DS is 7 now but would have adored doing this with his dad at even 4, and would have behaved immaculately, despite needing a lot of help.

YABU about age, but absolutely as reasonable as anything about the behaviour. What a waste of everyone else's time and money - it sounds poorly run.

merrymouse · 23/04/2016 14:31

Have you paid for this? I would contact the organisers. To be honest, you could equally have a 6 year old on the course who was completely disinterested, but I agree that it's pushing it to expect a course to appeal to children outside the age range specified.

However, if the organisers have set the age range it's up to them to enforce it.

Notso · 23/04/2016 14:36

DS1 is the youngest in his year. Often his friends would start clubs etc and ask DS to join too only to find DS was too young. I would phone and explain and most would say he could attend as often the age is a guide.

YWNBU to complain about his behaviour though.

Aeroflotgirl · 23/04/2016 14:38

YANBU at all, though its not the age, a 6/7 year old could behave like that, but the child's behaviour. I would complain to the course leader.

Blatherskite · 23/04/2016 14:45

Agree, it's the child's level of ability and involvement that's the issue, not his age. Plus the father's crap parenting. For all you know he could be a few weeks off turning 6 and will still be just as much of a pain in the arse when that magical number arrives.

DS has attended sessions at his tutoring centre which were - on paper - too old for him but they were in a subject that he enjoys and excels at so he was a useful part of the group.

Ameliablue · 23/04/2016 14:47

There is nothing wrong with a 5 year old doing an activity for 6+ as the age is only a guide and they vary greatly in their abilities at that age. What would be unreasonable in this is if the father didn't do anything to prevent the child behaving in the way he did.

bruffin · 23/04/2016 14:48

Apparently this happened at some of the west end live workshops a couple of years ago. DD went to the Jersey Boys one and met a girl who had been to the thriller one which was aged 10+ i think, but parents turned up with 5 and 6 year olds so the whole thing had to be toned down to their level.