To be shocked that not even one y4 child knew the meaning of the word velvet?

[Utterlybananas333]

My sister is a teacher in a South London primary school, she is a year four teacher of around 30 8 to 9-year-olds. She was recently describing her disbelief over the fact that not a single child knew what velvet meant? There were some crazy guesses, and lots of children who thought it was cake (probably relating to red velvet). Is it just the fact that children and adults don't talk anymore? That nobody reads anymore? Or even watches educational TV programs? Would your child know?

I'd be quite relaxed about a classful of 8yr olds not knowing what velvet was.
I'd be more exercised, however, if they didn't recognise a bluebell or a dandelion or a daffodil or a daisy.
Or a dock leaf or a nettle, while we're on the subject.
And please don't @me with "not everyone is rural". I'm a born, bred, worked, lived, still living Londoner.

I wore a velvet dress on xmas day

Have 2 very gifted children who are now very gifted adults also a teacher. Mine didn't know at that age and wouldn't expect a class of young children to know

I only knew about this book because of Chandler in Friends! I do know what velvet is though...now wondering if my children do?? I don't remember ever talking about anything velvet related or owning anything.

I have just asked my 10 year old. She thought it was a clothing brand...(quick google search shows me it is).

I don't think it is a word that would be used these days has it was previously, I doubt many would know what suede was either.

I wonder if they know what a suit of armour is cos I haven't worn one of them for ages

8 year old said “that silky material like our old sofa” 🤣

There can be loads of velvet references - a cushion, a dress, plus those “That’s not my” books often have a velvet patch!

🤣🤣

Asked my Year 2. She knew. Not sure it it a word children would hear regularly though.

Times change. I bet most of them know more about coding than most adults do!

Yes! Have you noticed though, that designers have forgotten what darts are for?

My yr 5 said it's a cake 🤣🤣
She did laugh and say it was also a material.

I asked for a serviette in a restaurant and was met with a blank stare. I suppose if a word’s not commonly used now children won’t be hearing it.

I now have teens and young adults and would disagree that general knowledge is lacking, at least in this age group. We were doing a quiz at Christmas with six 17 - 28 year olds and I was amazed at some of the things then knew in a huge range of subjects. Far more than me and I’m not particularly thick!

My 11 yr old DS asked me what a handkerchief was yesterday.
If children have never come across it, how will they know what it is?
Doesn't make him dim.
We don't use them in our lives 🤷🏼‍♂️

Me ! But I'm 74 😀

None of them have a Hotel Chocolat velvetiser then ;)

(I don't, I don't like hot chocolate!)

To quote Roy from the I.T crowd..

I’m sorry, are you from the past?

Who tf cares if some young kids know the word velvet?
What is it about this word that makes you think people aren’t talking to their kids anymore?

Velvet. Handkerchief.
I swear mumsnet thinks we are still raising little Victorian children.

What an odd thing to get your knickers in a twist over.

Previous poster "Earlier today we were telling dd20 and her friends about corporate punishment and dh getting hit with a ruler and they were so shocked and laughing hysterically (I don’t thing they believed us!) it’s just different generations."

Corporate punishment?? Great typo. Reminds me of a former boss: about the only thing he DIDN'T do was hit us with a stick.

Yes I do but I don’t think Dd would.

How strange that they don’t make the connection with paper hankies-perhaps the word tissue is more used.

I don’t these children would know brocade either but this would have more to do with being outdated fabric and being very difficult in this and age to work into a sentence!

OPI had the same issue using the word ‘dawn’ to describe a shade of brown, senior school, can’t remember which year possibly 8 or 9. Just looked at me blankly.

what are the social demographics of the group? Velvet is traditionally a luxury fabric worn by lords, ladies, kings and queens. If you went back to the slums of victorian england and asked the kids what velvet was they also would not know.
Kids dont really wear velvet so it does not surprise me that they wouldnt know what it is. I did actually have a velvet dress as a kid as it was i think on trend in the 70's. So I had context and texture links to know what it was. Otherwise I woudlnt have known. I think its safe to expect that the kids do not have any velvet in the house. Kids know what is around them, otherwise it is an abstract concept. I expect Prince George knows what velvet is. Kids also dont really know what record players are or tape players (though possibly more now know tape players after stranger things). Its not that they are ignorant or that no one talks, its just that its not a part of their lives - its not part of their lives so its not relevant to them. As I kid I had heard of a gramophone but I didnt really know what it was.

To be fair I'm in my 30s and I would have looked at you blankly too. Have never heard of dawn being used too describe the colour brown.

Autocorrect! Fawn