to ask you what you haven't explicitly spelled out to your kids and realised they don't know how to do?

[cremantsupernova]

There are lots of threads on MN about what your kids need to be able to do by the time they leave home (drive/life admin/budget/cook etc) in addition to school basics.
But what about the rest of it. Mine are generally kind and polite and usually remember pleases and thank yous
I was with one of my DC the other day and they ran ahead through a door and let it shut in the person behind's face. And I realised that I prob haven't stopped and told them that this is what you do.
Made me worry what else i haven't told them -
Any other examples?

DD started to smell when she was in Yr 5 a bit of a surprise as she'd always been quite a clean child. Eventually turned out that the form teacher had iven them the "personal hygiene talk" including to put deodorant on after they'd done something active to stop them smelling. She thought that this was an alternative to washing........

I would have thought YouTube would be of great help here. I find it useful to be shown step by step how to do something. 🌹

But you can pull it up too high/far regardless of whether you press the button in or not. The friction from the button won't stop a strong person from wrenching it up too far and snapping the cable, should they be so inclined.

You have to be careful to pull it up just the right amount, which is much, much easier to judge and do if you have full control of it - by pushing in the button. Suppose you had to move a bike a very short, precise distance - would you find it easier to manoeuvre it whilst holding the brake on or not?!

I obviously don't know your mechanic, but I wonder if he just has the common lazy habit and has tried to make up a reason (other than that he is just being lazy!) when asked about it.

I spent some time this evening teaching my 9 year old how to light a match. And talked about fire safety.

The cooker has the electric ignition. And we have those clickers the rest of the time.

She was not happy and accused me of trying to kill her. But at least she knows how to use matches if she ever needs to in the future.

I didn't ask, he told me off one day when he saw me parking the car ! I have no clue, I'll have to question further next time I see him.

I remember as a teen going to the doctors, and just taking a seat in he waiting room without announcing myself at reception. I just assumed as I had an appointment the GP would come and call me when they were ready. I waited an hour before creeping out again. Very embarrassing having to make another appointment!

Haha! My 3yo is five minutes tall 😆

I think this one's changed over time. My parents both yank it up making the noise, but I remember my driving instructor specifically teaching me to hold the button in. That was a good while ago though.

Not kids, but me!
My mum was surprised the other day when she found out I had never sewn a button. It came out as I mentioned I'd lost a button on my favourite trousers.
I mention that she'd never shown me (or any sewing skills at all) so not sure why she was so adamant that I ought to know.

My 25yo sister recently sent a card to a relative. A few days later the card arrived back at her house.

Turns out she'd written the 'to' address is the top left hand corner, and the return address in the middle of the envelope.

"I've never sent a letter or card before!" she said 😆

The bus scenario above happened to me too. Exactly the same thought process!

I would say working for a charity and being a teacher are both highly rewarding.

I mention that she'd never shown me (or any sewing skills at all) so not sure why she was so adamant that I ought to know.
As an adult you couldn't figure it out yourself?
An awful lot of people here saying my mum never taught me this or that, are you incapable of teaching yourself?
I had a neglectful childhood with no teaching of skills, yet have managed to raise 4DC and guide them into adulthood as fairly competent humans.

This is why our kids need to join brownies and cubs etc! Ok they might not help with handbrakes or vomit but sewing buttons, ironing, making tea (hostess badge anyone)? Plus map reading, cooking, shopping etc, and all in a fun way.

Although I helped out at a scouts fun day once and they all split into groups and had to make a fire and cook stuff. I was allocated to help one leader who'd been there for years, but she couldn't light a fire....😁😁! Eventually I took over and she was very grateful....

I've told this before, a conversation with me and a 16+ student

me: Did you say pheasant?
her: No Miss, what's a pheasant?
Me: It's a bird, you can eat it
her: Uhg who'd eat a bird?
Me: Do you eat chicken?

She did laugh but she had never realised 'chicken' is actually a grown up chick.

Actually there are a few others.

Looking at various methods of contraception, when it came to the cap/diaphragm and that you have to leave it in place after having sex, "But what if you need to go to the toilet?"

I think sometimes it is difficult to know which skills are going to be useful, do teenagers need to know how to write and/or cash a cheque?

Lol. Honestly I wouldn't have thought of this either 🤣🤣

I realised I hadn't warned my eldest that his teeth would get wobbly and fall out when a friend gave him a book for his birthday about it all..

It would have absolutely freaked him out if he'd been the first in his class (or TBH he might not have noticed it happening to the other kids - he's very head in the clouds)

It’s ratchet though. The noise is it biting . The button is to release it. If you press in the button and put the handbrake on you aren’t engaging the teeth properly so there’s more chance of knackering it up.

My eldest is another who had to be shown how to use a can opener when he was around 15. I was shocked as I've always been quite hot on the kids being able to cook/fend for themselves a bit, not like field dress a deer or anything, but whip up some eggs and toast, load the dishwasher type stuff. It had just slipped through the cracks somehow.

Happily my kids now all know how to launder/iron, sew a button, clean a bathroom/help with the house, mow a lawn etc. Doesn't stop them having a good bitch about having to do it though 😂

With one thing and another we hadn't been to the cinema together for a while, not since my DC both had phones and went to see Barbie, they had been with their friends more recently though

I was mortified when they whipped their phones out and started snapping and filming videos of the film to send to their friends, apart from being annoying for other cinema goers to have loads of light from the screens I think there are also piracy rules that forbid it . . .

@theculture Couldn't you have stopped them? The cinema management would not have been happy, they always tell you to switch off your phones completely. It's rude towards other people in the audience too, as you realise.

Dd 18 phoned me one day from work to ask how she would go about making an international phone call. It had never occurred to me to explain country codes.

Love this thread.

During lockdown I had a whole list to teach DD which was quite fun. Everything from baking to banking.

A couple of things I think all teens should know:

1. regardless of the green man, be aware that cyclists ignore red lights. Especially in London.
2. if they cycle, make sure they understand that drivers of vehicles have blind spots. Especially Lorries.
3. What a measure of spirits looks like vs a measure of wine. Even if you don’t drink yourself.
4. How to make two or three basic nutritional dinners that take less than 15 mins.
5. Sounds obvious, but I overheard a conversation between DD and a friend about pasta. Friend : ‘so pasta for one is 10 mins in the pan, if there are four of us, I guess the cooking time is forty mins?’ DD looked at her friend and said ‘err no, you just get a bigger pan of water and cook a larger amount for 10 mins’.
6. How to make an appointment be it GP, hair whatever.
7. how to send a polite/persuasive email to a Teacher so you stand half a chance of getting positive response/help/what resource you need.
8. That you don’t have to send me an Amazon link for every book you’d like to read, you can use a thing called a library 😂

What I’ve also learned about teenagers is that if for whatever reason they ask you a random question that Google could solve easily, it means they want to chat/tell you about something. So the next time your DC randomly asks you what Brake Horse Power is or whatever, keep the conversation going. You never know where it might take you to in their lives right now.

@Pemba of corse I did I was just really surprised that I had to

I still don't understand how to get a repeat prescription 😳 I'm 38! I know you don't need a separate GP appointment every time, but I don't understand who gives you the piece of paper then? Or how you let them know you've run out of your medication? Fortunately I'm not on any regular meds but I dread one of the DC needing something on repeat and having to confess my ignorance to the receptionist!