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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this should not be so controversial?

78 replies

apalledandshocked · 22/01/2021 14:16

So, there is a short story which starts
"Peter and his dad went to the beach together...."

Then a series of questions at the end, the first of which starts
"who did dad go to the beach with?"

I tentatively suggested (when asked for help) that it could be Peter. But apparently it can't possibly be that and I am foolish for suggesting it. Over half an hour spent discussing it together as a family. I don't know what the other questions are because we have not yet got that far.
So... Who do you think Dad went to the beach with?

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 22/01/2021 15:35

@WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo

Well unless the Dad in the question isn't the Dad in the story then he went with Peter. I guess maybe the 6 year old is hearing the question "who did Dad go to the beach with" and assuming it means their Dad. Not Peters Dad.
I assume this is the explanation. 6-year-olds are pretty literal. And to be fair to him, he's actually right in a way - it's a poorly constructed question.

Not that it helps you when the teacher just want "Dad".

Paapa · 22/01/2021 15:38

I remember 'comprehension' exercises when I was a child, and thinking most of the questions must be 'trick questions' because the answers were so blazingly obvious. Maybe this is the case here.

Same. Actually caused me huge problems more than once - and once I'd realised that the questions were just that simple, it put me off learning, because it all seemed so boring and pointless.

Now I'm older, I know that reading comprehension is actually very difficult for a lot of people - a lot of it relies on general knowledge and understanding of everyday cause and effect. That's why computers can't write stories (well, it's why they can't write stories that make any sense).

Original poster
apalledandshocked · 22/01/2021 15:41

See the people saying he thinks its his dad, that would make sense but we speak English inside the home, and he speaks another language outside it (and at school) and the word for "dad" is different so it cant be that.
@ravenmum no, although I speak it quite well and he is fluent so comprehension isnt an issue.
And he is very very good at maths, but wouldnt accept any comparison because "this isnt maths".

OP posts:
ZoeTurtle · 22/01/2021 15:42

Did Dad even GO to the beach? Are beaches real or a social concept? What does it mean to be human?

Original poster
apalledandshocked · 22/01/2021 15:43

HOWEVER
we have had a breakthrough. DS had a (scheduled) video call with his teacher and asked her. She said "Peter". Not only did he accept this without question but he turned to me and said "see mummy I told you it was Peter." So now Im seriously considering that this was all part of an elaborate scheme to mess with me.

OP posts:
Original poster
apalledandshocked · 22/01/2021 15:44

@ZoeTurtle

Did Dad even GO to the beach? Are beaches real or a social concept? What does it mean to be human?
Thats the sort of philosophical question we like to save for 6 o clock in the morning in our house!
OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 22/01/2021 15:47

@apalledandshocked

HOWEVER we have had a breakthrough. DS had a (scheduled) video call with his teacher and asked her. She said "Peter". Not only did he accept this without question but he turned to me and said "see mummy I told you it was Peter." So now Im seriously considering that this was all part of an elaborate scheme to mess with me.
Grin Gin
ravenmum · 22/01/2021 15:48

@apalledandshocked

HOWEVER we have had a breakthrough. DS had a (scheduled) video call with his teacher and asked her. She said "Peter". Not only did he accept this without question but he turned to me and said "see mummy I told you it was Peter." So now Im seriously considering that this was all part of an elaborate scheme to mess with me.
He's gaslighting you OP!
picklemewalnuts · 22/01/2021 15:51

Gaslighting. Keep an eye on him. Next time you can't find your keys....

Fufumuji · 22/01/2021 15:52

s it a Ladybird book? If so, Jane probably went as well. Mummy stayed at home doing housework

That's what Mummy wants you to think. In reality she's swallowing valium supping from the gin bottle, with a hoover nearby ready to leap up and look busy when she hears Daddys car pulling up.

Thepilotlightsgoneout · 22/01/2021 15:52

Peter and his dad can fuck off, going to a nice, hot beach and eating ice creams. Talk about rubbing our noses in it.

MechantGourmet · 22/01/2021 15:53

Dad puts suncream on Peter, "keep out of the sun" dad says.
Peter and dad build a sandcastle
Dad buys peter an icecream.

How does he think they could do these things if they weren't there together? Confused

My head hurts.

SleepingStandingUp · 22/01/2021 15:56

Hahaha your kid screwed you over.

Love it.

Leave them at the beach alone next time with just a moody crab for company.

Sally872 · 22/01/2021 16:02

Hahaha love this thread glad it isn't just my child. Thank goodness it is Friday!

TonMoulin · 22/01/2021 16:19

Haha

Yep, if the teacher said it then its tue. If mum says it, then its open to interpretation and is probably wrong...
I'm pretty usre my teens still do that...

LApprentiSorcier · 22/01/2021 16:20

KLAXON - Boswell alert - KLAXON

Grin
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 22/01/2021 16:22

OMG, the gaslighting! My 8yo does this too - my "favourite" to date is when he didn't eat his sandwiches for lunch but swore he had, despite them still being IN HIS LUNCHBOX.
He wouldn't budge - couldn't explain how they were still in his lunchbox, even though he'd definitely eaten them at lunch - but would NOT back down and agree that he had NOT, in fact, eaten them because they were STILL FECKING THERE!!

I'm not sure how either of us survived that one. There have been many other examples but that is the most blinding.

Blueroses99 · 22/01/2021 16:26

Peter is the dad. He went to the beach with his dad, ie granddad.

Blueroses99 · 22/01/2021 16:27

Sorry hadn’t refreshed thread Grin

DisappearingGirl · 22/01/2021 16:34

DS had a (scheduled) video call with his teacher and asked her. She said "Peter". Not only did he accept this without question but he turned to me and said "see mummy I told you it was Peter."

Grin Grin Grin

So the answer was simply that whatever mum said was wrong. Time for gin!

MindGrapes · 22/01/2021 16:40

This is brilliant. But how are you parenting my 6-year-old when he's here in our house? Grin

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 22/01/2021 16:47

@BoobsOnTheMoon

PS I think at 6, the concept that Peter went to the beach with dad, ergo dad went to the beach with Peter, is still pretty hazy. After all, there is no sentence that explicitly tells the reader that "dad went to the beach with Peter".
This.

I'd guess he's looking for a sentence that tells him the answer explicitly.

Doesn't help much with your problem of trying to convince him of the correct answer though.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 22/01/2021 16:51

@picklemewalnuts

Gaslighting. Keep an eye on him. Next time you can't find your keys....
Agree. Not to be trusted Wink

After DC x3, I developed an intentionally annoying passive aggressive stock answer when my homework suggestions did not pass child quality control, "Well that's just my idea, but you're much cleverer than me, so you are probably right".

One of mine once spent 40 minutes arguing with me about what a red blood cell does. I am a doctor Grin

Bonsai49 · 22/01/2021 17:00

I wouldn’t ask for £4 either OP - if I was getting you standard supermarket bread and milk I wouldn’t ask . If I was getting you stuff daily or a few days food then yes I would .

If they are doing this for several friends though I can see it Would mount up

Bonsai49 · 22/01/2021 17:00

Sorry wrong thread !

Swipe left for the next trending thread