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 keep getting ads for manly outdoor adventure equipment on Instagram - I’m a disabled woman and my whole post algorithm is: feral women, ADHD humour, cats, and really cool homemade crafts. Where the fuck do these ads come from???

But as for ads, 99% of Instagram accounts show SHEIN or TEMU ads, or both, and they both feature velvet clothes. Do you really think in 13+ years, (as I think children must be 13 to have Instagram accounts) your children have never seen velvet? Of course, I admit it’s possible and you’d know best. Do they know any fabrics or buy any of their own clothes, out of curiosity? Do you think they’d know velvet if they saw it? (You don’t have to answer! I’m just curious. Thanks for reading my ridiculousness, @FreedomForFree ).

Fucking hell
Every shop in town is full of christmassy velvet clothes
Settees are velvet
It's hardly an unusual thing

I don't know anybody that has magazines or catalogues lying about the house anymore. I don't think my children will have come across velvet other than the red velvet cake (which in fairness I had never heard of until they told me about it).

Here we go
Mum your jacket feels nice
Yes it's velvet

Done

And if you don't own a velvet jacket...

It's one word out of millions.

Some kids can tell you stuff we wouldn't have known at their age, and at times things I didn't know as an adult until they told me. My daughter does this all the time with space-related things that would have blown my Encyclopedia Britannica mind at her her age.

It so happens she does know what velvet is ('the flavour or the material?') but if she didn't I wouldn't be worrying about it.

Not in my house, I have zero velvet clothing items and had no idea it was a currently popular fabric

I didn’t meant to suggest they would be, @LightYearsAgo! Just offering balance for the admittedly expensive bedding I linked before.

Because honestly, in the run up to Christmas, Get a velvet jacket was a phrase repeated on this forum (on Style and Beauty) about a hundred times a day. So I do find it difficult to believe that a large proportion of adult women would never have owned or even recognised the existence of velvet clothing at accessible prices.

I agree it’s unarguable that children’s real life experience of the world has narrowed because of the devices glued to their palms which allow them to focus entirely on what they already enjoy.

There is nothing, literally nothing, in my home that is velvet.

Velvet isn't a fabric but a word that describes the nature of a fabric - threads cut short and even to give a soft nap. Velvet was traditionally made from silk but is now made from a wide variety of materials.

When did I last see it? Last night. My daughter was wearing velvet shoes.

Just asked my Y3/ 8 year old and he said it’s a type of soft material. Went to DFS the other day to buy a sofa in the sale and there were loads of velvet ones (we didn’t buy one as probably not great with scratching cats).

This is London, how many speak English as a second language and another language at home? There should be stats available.

It sounds like the sort of word quite a lot of non native speakers wouldn't know, especially from warmer climates.

The sort I'm thinking of are velvet. Polyester velvet but definitely velvet.

I remember dd being 7 or so and the only kid in her class who knew what a mango was 😬

Wow I had no idea so many don't have velvet in their lives?! We have loads.

I have a velvet blazer (or a few)
We have velvet dining chairs and bench
Velvet cushions on the sofas
Velvet laces on some of the kids shoes
Velvet party dresses or a velvet sash/ribbon
Velvet bows on presents and on the Christmas tree
Velvety mentioned regularly in the 'That's not my...' books

Ok some of these are velour or something similar but described by us as velvet. I've just asked my 4 year old and she knows that 'belbet' is something soft.

I asked my 4 year old and she said it meant soft. So kind of. I think kids just know words they hear or use, I wouldn't be overly shocked that they didn't know what velvet was.

Mine didn't know what a belt was. Simply because I don't wear them (thanks 4 kids! Don't need any attention drawn to my waistline!) But did tell her granny who asked her how the flight was, that it was 'fine nanny but a bit turbulent.' Picked that one up off the flight attendant.

Partly that and partly because I think handrail has become more common

I’m fifty and yes I do.

There have always been velvet ribbons or hair bands and party dresses of velvet and sequin for little girls haven’t there? What about Barbie? Does she not dress up any more? I’m quite surprised by the lack of knowledge too OP. Textures and colours, a scrap bag with lace, silk, felt, velvet, cotton etc was something that our children would make collages from at pre school and at home, as did I when little. Children are inquisitive and ask what things are and what they are made of, or you can talk about different fabrics and materials which make furniture, toys and clothing even handbags and purses can be velvet.

We were quite taken aback.

Mum isn't an English speaker but Dad is 2nd generation and the older siblings/cousins always seemed to have a good general knowledge.

It’s still a seasonal choice.

Oh? What colour were they? I'm not sure I've ever seen velvet shoes as I'm not a fan so maybe I have velvet blindness?! . Irregular Choice (High Street) used to have shoes I loved in all sorts of crazy fabrics & patterns/colours..

Sorry for the derail!

My children know what it is but only because I can’t touch it, it makes me feel like I’m going to be sick

So much of our curriculum and teaching is now focussed around explicit teaching of vocabulary! It’s scary we have to do all of this and teach everything from basic skills to the same things we had to 20 years plus ago (the length of time I’ve been in teaching) and yet we are expected to produce a higher standard than ever before! The education system is in dire need of an overhaul, and that’s without all of the added extras like behaviour and entitled parents!!

"Belbet" is so cute @OrigamiAnimal

Different generations -I’m 70 -does everyone know what gabardine or cavalry twill is?
Im 60 and I dont know.
My adult sons certainly wouldn't know either.