To stop DH teaching DS about countries/the world?

[NewNameEveryWeek]

DS is 16 months old. He seems pretty bright for his age (he can say 20+ words already) but DH seems to think that DS is a genius.

We've already had arguments because DH was trying to teach DS colours at 14 months old. DH would ask DS to bring him something red, and DS would usually look confused and fail, or sometimes randomly choose something that happened to be red and DH would take this as conclusive proof that DS knows colours now. It was frustrating to watch as DS looked so bewildered most of the time. I actually thought the way DH was going about it could be bad for DS's development, eg DS can understand what a dog is and will point them out and say "dog" and trying to get DS to associate brown dogs with the word "brown" as well as "dog" is a bit much at this stage if that makes sense.

Now DH is asking me to look for a globe or atlas for DS. He wants to teach him to eg point at Australia when DH asks him to. I haven't bought one yet as I think it's a pointless thing to teach DS at his age. With enough practice he probably could learn to point at the different counties/continents but it won't mean anything to him and he's be better off learning useful easy words first.

AIBU to tell DH we're not buying a globe?

Or should I just let him get on with it? He seems to want me to buy the globe though as he expects me to do all the shopping which is frustrating. I suppose it won't be as bad as the whole colours fiasco anyway.

and will likewise have no notion of the globe representing the planet where we live.

OTOH, it's a good idea to start them early, in case they become flat earthers.

I spent a lot of time looking at picture books with my DD from a very early age. Not because I was trying to turn her into a genius, but because she would never settle anywhere for long apart from my knee and I’m not much good with babies generally! Her favourite book was a huge one called The Big Book of Everything. It was simply full of photos of everything you could imagine. I would point at the pictures and tell her what they were and after a while if I named something she would point at it. The book eventually fell apart. This didn’t mean that she learned to talk early, but it did mean that when she did start she hit the ground running.

She also adored Scooby Doo (afraid I pushed her that way as I couldn’t bear Teletubbies) and we had several videos that we watched repeatedly. One day when I went to pick her up from Nursery the staff were so excited because they’d watched a video and DD had pointed and said “That’s the Coliseum”! I had to explain that she’d seen it on Scooby Doo. A few months later they told me she’d drawn a picture of the Eiffel Tower - Yep, Scooby Doo strikes again!

She’s now 20, clever, but certainly no genius. Still loves books and words.

Your husband will do no harm showing your DS about the world, provided he doesn’t push him too hard, but lets him absorb things at his own pace. Oh, and also provided your DS enjoys it. Learning at that age should never be a chore.

p.s. I’d love a globe. I’m always meaning to get one!

@GuppytheCat

What did he grow up to be?

I always find this kind of thing strange too. Do we need to be the best in the world? We’re doing okay.

Are we? I went to conferences at the Royal Science Institute years years ago and there was a panel of teachers, teacher union members politicians etc.

There was real concern expressed about the teaching of Maths for example and the takeup of STEM subjects at A-level. Comparisions were made with other countries where the total math literacy rate per the population tended to be higher. We have a huge technology and engineering skills gap, and it appears that there is a disconnect between math literacy in school and our attitude as a culture towards learning. Many people have expressed concern about it. The main maths curriculum used in Singapore - Singapore maths is widely now used here because of their high success rates.

I think over the past 30 years or so there has been an attitude of learning should be fun don't stress the kids...but then we test them to death later. It's seems illogical.

I'm all for extended one to one time learning at home and later entry to school. I agree that school isn't necessarily education

he expects me to do all the shopping which is frustrating

So, just don't do it.

Sit down and work out a weekly rota of who does what and when.

he sounds obsessed with regards to his son...

Stand up for yourself! Your future self and son will thank you.

I’d buy the globe and let him get on with it, he’ll quickly realise it’s pointless at that age! In the meantime enjoy the free time to yourself 😃

@SickOFant same

'but on MN people use it without irony

Wasn't it only one pp on this thread?'

On this thread, yes, but I see it all the time on others.

Singapore maths is widely now used here because of their high success rates.

DS was at university (in EU). He said the Chinese students did nothing but study. No socialising, nothing.

Then he went to China - some of his friends were living/working/studying there. Came home and said....

"Mum, had a great time, met lovely people but they're not taught to think critically."

I wouldn't want to live in a society like that....

I'll buy a globe and get on some good netflix. You like words, get him some nice flashcards and get yourself a good manucure kit. Swimming lessons is not out of order, what else, Maths of course. Shapes, numbers, colours, letters and 1000 words. Were is the foreign language in the mix ? This tread is hilarious. Your honey is fun. Thank you for the good laugh I so needed it. At least there is one parent grounded. It's all good. Better that then a hubby you thinks his child is a complete idiot, or not worth it.

Globes are fun. They roll. Fast and slow. If they have flashing lights and you can feel the reliefs, the better.

As mentioned, the actual concept of planet earth and its countries and oceans is so far beyond a baby's comprehension is laughable.
I'm with the Op, it's far better to help their son explore his world and learn some words through fun play and experience.

Parroting off the names of countries on demand at that age is meaningless.

State of Britain today, I am not sure our education system is so hot on the critical thinking....

Re:
„... he went to China - some of his friends were living/working/studying there. Came home and said....

"Mum, had a great time, met lovely people but they're not taught to think critically."„

It's find to talk to the child about anything and everything, as long as he's kind to the poor boy.

Learning colours etc. is normal at 16 months. I can remember my DS at that age, if you drew a heart, square, circle etc. and coloured them in, and asked him "which one's red DS" or "which one is the heart", he could point to the right one, and would be thrilled if you clap for him and make a fuss. That's how they learn, trial and error and lots of praise. And that's not unusual at that age, they are very clever little things typically.

The atlas thing is fine, it's a way to stimulate conversation and for DS to hear new words and sounds.

The key is just to be nice about it and not make them feel shit! I agree with pp who mentioned also that it's mostly about getting them into the culture of learning and to know that knowledge is something to value and strive for. Doesn't matter much if he retains anything.

I'd look out for a book about other countries and cultures, so that your child can begin to learn that they exist and understand the concept properly. As PP have said, simply knowing that a particular shape is called Australia is totally meaningless.

But if he's so keen to teach his child, it would be much more useful to work on numbers, shapes and reading.

'Top of the class at 5yo'
That cracked me up. Thanks that poster 😂. How, on earth, would you know that?!?
What I suspect you might mean, is that, in one area, say reading, you have discovered your child is on the highest reading level. Let's forget about every other area in which other (inferior) children shine.

I'll bet a pound that the ops dh enthrals his friends with gems like this in future.

Love the way that people have taken this post as an invitation to boast!

@LisaSimpsonsbff Hell yeah! My son is a flippin' genius! I've told everyone I know in RL, so now I need the internet to know too...You're welcome, World!

the most important thing is that he's getting them interested books... Left wingers won't understand any of this of course

@youknowitmakessensedunnit, What's a book?

My DH taught our DCs to burp the slphabet, so being taught colours and countries sounds wonderful to me! 😂😂😂 @Silentplikebath

@RevolutionofourTime has it. DS is interested in cars so I'm teaching him the different car brands, models, parts etc. He can now announce look mummy that car has a spoiler! He is less interested in engine parts (I have a degree in mechanical engineering)

Any kind of interaction or engagement is good news for a 14 month old in my view.

I dont see an issue with your DH getting your DC a globe and talking about various countries. Your DC will benefit from spending time with his Dad.

OP, by any chance is your husband a fan of the Ellen DeGeneres show?

If your son is enjoying himself, let them enjoy time together. Children are bloody sponges and exposing them to as much experience and knowledge as possible gives huge advantage in terms of an enriched life.

Your son might not end up being the world’s leading expert in geography (or whatever), but he might be a brilliant and entertaining teammate down the pub in Quiz nights.

I don't think it puts a child at "huge advantage" to recite names of countries that are meaningless to him.

At 2 my ds could correctly name all his dinosaur collection. Now 18, he couldn't identify an ichthyosaur if you paid him

Any kind of interaction is good for a 14month old don't agree. And why is the bar set so low? It's not a choice between a tense quiz on colours and countries of the world and leaving him in a dark room on his own is it?

Surely all this setting things up for a 16 month old child - buying globes and so on - to learn things is a bit unnessary.

When my children were small, they learned about our world by going out and looking at what was going on around us in nature and around and about and talking about it.

I read to them, our house was/is full of books. I sang with them. and mostly I talked to them.

At 16 months they were learning their numbers, letters and colours and so much more just by being alive and having parents and family that talked about all sorts of things; isn't that what most thinking people do with their small children?

By all means have a globe in the house, but having a child able to parrot the names of the countries on it but have no idea what it all actually means is pointless.

Any kind of interaction or engagement is good news for a 14 month old in my view.

Any? I can think of different types of interaction that are not good news in any way.

Maybe in this instance DH is just learning ways to talk to his child? When DD was that age, I struggled to think of what to say, how to engage her. I was used to adult conversation and the expectation of a fairly level playing field in terms of vocabulary, general knowledge, etc. This was completely different and it felt like hard work. The non-sequiturs, the non-response, the response that never ends (the awful day she’d started pointing out buses … and our walk took us past the bus station).

So, when we went out, I starting telling her what I knew about the things around us. And when Mummy went back to work, we went out a lot because I work from home. Mansplaining central, right? Go to the railway museum? A quick and simplistic explanation of how a steam engine works. Not because she’ll understand (not even because it’s any kind of helpful explanation, delivered in 30 seconds while pointing at different rods and pistons) but because it might help her to realise that there can be more to the things we see. And it certainly helped me reach a place where we could enjoy spending time together more easily. I think it worked for us. I don’t see a worried or unhappy toddler, and I don’t feel like a worried or unhappy Dad struggling to think of things to say to his child (and, btw, I’m hopeless at small talk, very shy and would probably live my entire life by email if possible!). She’s 3 now, we can have conversations – sensible-ish ones about daffodil buds and silly ones about rabbit poo today – but I don’t think I'd have got there without mansplaining Stephenson’s Rocket when she was barely a year old.

Let him watch Go Jetters, that'll get him started. My 5 year old's mind was blown when we showed her the Stone Henge episode and took her the next day.