“Being bad at stuff” is also so selective. The other kids are not expected to be two years ahead in math, but I am expected to be able to sit perfectly still for 4 hours and pay attention in an oxygen depleted room. Everybody has to have this nearly exact same skillset.
It’s not what society needs, not even what the industry needs in the workforce, but that is most convenient for the teachers.
That low oxygen training will come handy when you work on a spaceship or a submarine. Training the spacemen of tomorrow!
Hard agree, I relate to all of the above
I remember when I was really, really young I hadn’t figured out all the nuanced definitions of the word “bad”. At some point (I think it was in Sunday school) I told an adult that I put cereal in the fridge once. They said that was bad. So then I was all like “fuck, I guess I’m going to hell”
Things were going great for me too. I was looking forward to heaven. I mean, sure, I’d lied, cheated, had bad thoughts, murdered a few people here and there, had wild sex with everyone, you know, the usual, but it was all good, still goin to heaven. But fuck me, I put the cereal in the refrigerator yesterday and now I’m doomed to spend eternity in hell. I was THIS close.
OP seems to be American
I’m in the UK and have experienced all of this
Sounds like you’re American too.
I’m from central Europe and have experienced all of this.
Are you talking about me, or the person in the photo? If you’re talking about the former, then you would be correct.
When you’re a kid, adults use the most specious reasoning to try to make you behave properly, and then when you’re the adult you do too.
Nah, kids deserve more credit than that. I’m honest with kids (to an age-appropriate level) because it’s vital that they develop critical thinking skills. Considering the world they’re growing up into, they’re going to need all the training they can get to become able to discern fact from fiction.
I give kids legit reasons. I explore their “Why” questions. Then when I don’t know the answer, I’ll be honest but supportive, “I don’t know, but let’s find out.” We have to model what being a rational adult is like, and how we come to logical conclusions. Children aren’t going to learn this stuff from being brushed off or told some silly explanation.
That being said, it’s important to be smart about context. It’s reasonable and responsible to disengage from the conversation if someone demonstrates that they aren’t arguing in good faith, whether they’re an adult or a child. The problem is, a lot of adults jump to whatever explanation makes their own life easier, without any regard to how their response can shape the future adult they’re speaking with. If you’re truly concerned about kids’ futures, you have to acknowledge that there is a lot you know that kids don’t know yet. Offer them the benefit of the doubt and seize these opportunities to teach kids how to think for themselves.
Not even ADHD (but am autistic) and this hit hard
This is more autism than adhd and it’s a huge value of autistic people to reflect a “normal” attitude as absurdity.
Undiagnosed autism here with suspected ADHD, I feel called out by this entire list, and much of that is because I/we have had to figure it all out by ourselves.
Turns out I’m so good at masking I forget to admit to myself I’m not feeling well…
Etiquette one I don’t agree. It’s just being respectful and mindful. You will acknowledge it once you see the absolute lack of it.
I don’t think this means “Etiquette (please and thank you)”, I think this means “Etiquette (look at this rube using his crab fork to grab pasta, what a yokel)”
