To be surprised that my 15yo son didn’t know the difference between a comb and a brush?

[PlopTeeth]

Just that really. I asked him to fetch the comb from the bathroom and he asked which one that was. I suppose that I assumed that by 15 he would know the difference and now I’m wondering what other basics we have failed to teach him. 😂

So, what lack of knowledge, either in someone else or yourself, have you been surprised by? (Lighthearted 😉)

My then 21 year old boyfriend wouldn't get in the bath for 2 hours after a large meal. In case the cramp causes him to drown

Teenage niece who announced that she'd only just realised that only her bottom jaw moved!

My DSD didn’t know that white dandelion clocks were the same flower as yellow dandelion flowers. She thought they were different plants. She was 16 at the time.

I was telling my SIL about it and my niece over heard and said she didnt know that either. She was 17 at the time.

What is the difference?

@Raera I'm 28 and have only just realised that 😂😂

@SimonJT Are you my son? 😂

@Raera and @Kaypee28 what???? I’ll ask my son if he knows this?

I had a friend who didn't realize that the days of the week came in the same order until we were eleven.

Also, my cousin, when she was thirteen and had just had her first period, asked me how she'd know when you were going through menopause. I just said that your periods stopped. "Yes, but how would you KNOW that?" After quite a bit of back and forth, it transpired that she didn't realise that periods came every month. She thought you bled once when you started them and then nothing until menopause.

I felt really bad telling her.

I don’t think ds has used either himself (same age).

On the travel news, they often mention Simister Island. We were very disappointed that it isn’t Sinister Island as we all thought, so that was something I learnt very recently.

@MissingLinker Periods; the gift that keeps on giving! Poor girl.

@Lordfrontpaw oh, he’s used them, just didn’t realise that they had different names. I was a bit taken aback when I had to describe the difference, the flat one as opposed to the one with bristles. Cue ‘what’s a bristle?’ 🙄

My 12 year old who has always been top of every one of her classes, has astonished teacher by her thirst for knowledge asked 'how you make Frozen peas!'

Same daughter asked how lawnmowers (she pronounced it lawnwomers) knew what length you wanted your grass. I asked her if she knew how lawnmoWers worked and she replied 'yh, they suck up the grass'
I had to explain to her there was a blade!

This is the same child who stumped teachers with questions she asked, who explores her lessons into greater depth at home and has never got anything less than 98% on any test or exam! Common sense and day to day knowledge escapes her!

@Idroppedthescrewinthetuna that’s the clever dumb balance DD (13 and top set for most things) was utterly stumped how to use the spigot on a water dispenser the other week when we were out. The concept of how to get the water out eluded her completely

In a proper published novel:
"They went over it with a tooth comb."
It's not a tooth comb, you moron, it's a 'fine-toothed comb'!
Who the fuck combs their teeth?

Ok my 22 month old knows the difference between a brush and a comb...

The balance is very noticeable. To the point DP and I actually worry about her more than I do my 6 year old. She is probably just below average academically but so much more common sense than my 12 year old.

Dd12 constantly trips up cos she lives in lala land, had no concept of every day life, put a book in front of her and she is switched right on.

I kind of love her lack of common sense its so cute but she does cause a lot of eye rolls

My 35 year old husband didn't know the difference between a dress and a skirt.

I presume the person who didn't know the days of week came in the same order had some kind of learning disability? Because that makes no sense if not.

I don’t think my husband knows the difference either, he certainly uses them interchangeably.

I think that's quite funny!

At 17 my ds revealed the reason our bathroom is always flooded after he has been in... He didn't realise the bath mats were for standing on. He has been being so careful as to not get them wet...
For years and years!!

@OhLook
Once you’ve retired Mondays are irrelevant . It’s like every month is a month of Sundays .

My husband regularly mixed up the names for different relatives until we were in our 20s. So for example he would ask me eg how my auntie was, we'd have a drawn out slightly confusing conversation, and it would turn out he was talking about my grandma. Fuck knows what his parents taught him when he was little, although tbf outside of his parents and siblings he had no family whatsoever.

OP my XDH used to mix up Simister Island with the Armley Gyratory. He still has no idea which is which.

My DS is 16 and has not used a brush since he had his lovely bowl cut chopped off age 7. He sure knows a comb though. You’ve clearly not had nits in your house

My DS (18) doesn't know the difference between a duvet and sheet when talking about them.