Basic knowledge

[shadowplay]

This thread is about 'basic knowldedge' - stuff like using hand tools, fixing things around the house

No it's not, it's about an adult not understanding what miles per hour is. It's been hijacked by people complaining about kids not knowing how to find an orchard on an OS map.

 

[SR1er]

I have a scouse mate who lives in Australia now but years ago he used to travel around Britain as a racing driver and also loved a bit of football. He claims to have been to Roker Park back in the day but only a fortnight ago said Sunderland was on Tyneside . He wasn't joking either he genuinely thought Sunderland was on Tyneside.

Years ago (but not that long ago really) I heard a football commentator say Sunderland was on Teesside. Do they actually travel to the ground blindfolded?

 

[monkeytassle]

I didn't have a log table book it trig tables because I had a calculator. My dad kept on telling me to use his ancient books.

I've not had an instance of needing to switch from my casio to an old book.

 

[Tuono]

I'm a joiner, at work when I'm doing a roof I get out my Roofing Ready Reckoner book, the young'uns get out their phones and use the roofing app. Twats, I hope their batteries die .

 

[HellsBells]

No it's not, it's about an adult not understanding what miles per hour is. It's been hijacked by people complaining about kids not knowing how to find an orchard on an OS map.

I agree there’s a big difference between knowing what miles per hour means, and being able to rustle up a campfire banquet.

 

[MackneyHackem]

Booked a hotel in Wales and our lass asked if she needed her passport. Why would you need your passport to go to Wales? Well its another country and you need your passport to go to another country. Explained that Wales was connected to England like France is connected to Spain....She looks puzzled then says "I thought France and Spain were Islands".....All Im gonna say is its a good job she is as fit as a butchers dog, a brill mam and a cracking shag (NO!)

So you don’t need your passport to travel if the countries are connected? Mint.

 

[Lambchops]

So you don’t need your passport to travel if the countries are connected? Mint.

 

[pillars of hercules]

They also didn’t need to tell the time either because there were no schedules for anything.


But which life skills are they? I’d argue it’s not necessarily map reading, nor is it campfire cooking. Unless you think society is totally fucked, anyway.


No, but I’d guess more of them can code than our generation, for instance.

I’d say that’s a bigger life skill nowadays than reading a map.


When I studied GCSE IT in 95, it was basically how to use a word processor. Those were the life skills I needed back then. A level IT was how to design and build a Foxpro database, ffs.

They’re useless now, because technology has surpassed it. Kids will learn more in IT at the same age then I will probably ever know about IT.

Seems to me you would be happy to see kids go through their youth blissfully ignorant then fall to bits when they come across a situation they are unfamiliar with. They would leave home at 37 and phone every 2 minutes to ask you to come round with their meal. They may never need to use a map, or light a fire, or survive a night outside in winter. But what if they did? It could be the difference between life and death.

 

[MackneyHackem]

My friend lives in France and visits family in Tehran from time to time.

If she forgets her passport she can just keep stopping every time she crosses a border to save her having to trail back home to get it.

 

[pillars of hercules]

So you don’t need your passport to travel if the countries are connected? Mint.

If they're in the Schengen area great, if they're part of the same nation great, if you know a secret mountain pass that joins the 2 countries great. Other than that yeah you need a passport

 

[MackneyHackem]

If they're in the Schengen area great, if they're part of the same nation great, if you know a secret mountain pass that joins the 2 countries great. Other than that yeah you need a passport

I am well aware.

 

[mikemanc]

So you don’t need your passport to travel if the countries are connected? Mint.

That's how it works on the US/Mexico border

 

[42]

Years ago (but not that long ago really) I heard a football commentator say Sunderland was on Teesside. Do they actually travel to the ground blindfolded?

The people who do the programme descriptions for Sky think Barnard Castle is on Tyneside.

 

[MackneyHackem]

That's how it works on the US/Mexico border

Oh very good.

 

[pillars of hercules]

I am well aware.

I did suspect that

That's how it works on the US/Mexico border

For a lot if people yeah. That's why Trump wants a big wall

That's how it works on the US/Mexico border

There is a Native American tribe that lives on both sides of the border (Tohono O'odham) for 60 miles of it. They don't need passports and travel freely across the border so you're right in a way .

Tohono Oʼodham - Wikipedia

 

[HellsBells]

Seems to me you would be happy to see kids go through their youth blissfully ignorant then fall to bits when they come across a situation they are unfamiliar with. They would leave home at 37 and phone every 2 minutes to ask you to come round with their meal. They may never need to use a map, or light a fire, or survive a night outside in winter. But what if they did? It could be the difference between life and death.

Lots of things could be the difference between life and death. How do you decide which life skills they need to know “just in case”? How do you decide which skills they need to know so that they never come across any unfamiliar situation ever?

All I’m saying is that “basic life skills” change over time.

 

[Harry Angstrom]

Lots of things could be the difference between life and death. How do you decide which life skills they need to know “just in case”? How do you decide which skills they need to know so that they never come across any unfamiliar situation ever?

All I’m saying is that “basic life skills” change over time.

Interesting times bringing up kids. The older I get and see the mistakes I made and mistakes friends are making I am coming to the conclusion that kids aren't learning many "basic life skills".
Conflicts are resolved by adults. Children cannot be allowed in public alone until they are 11. Children aren't allowed to risk anything. Children arent expected to help round the house or cook etc.
Children aren't allowed to be bored. Emphasis is put on education and doing well at academic stuff or formal sports lessons after school.
All of which infantilises them.

 

[MackneyHackem]

I'm often staggered by how common a lack of directional or navigational sense is. My two best mates both have degrees but one ended up in Hull trying to get home from Manchester (that big pesky sign that says A1M THE NORTH eh!) and another who despite having made the trip dosens of times still puts his sat nav on to get from Durham to Consett.

Baffling behaviour.

Whenever we go away we get to the digs, dump our bags, I have a quick look on google maps to see where the centre of town is, and we’re on our way.

She’s always quite impressed that I won’t have to refer to my phone for the journey, which is purely because I’ve had a look beforehand and can remember the direction, so not that impressive.

But when we decide it’s time to go back on the night and I can remember the exact way back because I’ve remembered whether to go right or left, street names or landmarks she genuinely can’t believe it. I often ask her what she would do if I wasn’t here or if her phone ran out of battery and she admits she’d be fucked.

Even when she does use google maps she has to f***ing turn the phone to work out which way she’s facing, not realising that flipping the phone 180 degrees means the phone’s upside down so you’re going in the opposite direction.

 

[pillars of hercules]

Lots of things could be the difference between life and death. How do you decide which life skills they need to know “just in case”? How do you decide which skills they need to know so that they never come across any unfamiliar situation ever?

All I’m saying is that “basic life skills” change over time.

You only need a little bit of knowledge of each so I believe you should teach kids at least the bare minimum of most things that could have a life changing affect. Cooking, which plants are poisonous etc.

I also don't want my kids to look stupid so my 7 year old has an understanding of the water cycle, how wind is created, how rocks are formed, how worms help create compost etc. I show him where countries are on a globe etc.

 

[MackneyHackem]

I have a scouse mate who lives in Australia now but years ago he used to travel around Britain as a racing driver and also loved a bit of football. He claims to have been to Roker Park back in the day but only a fortnight ago said Sunderland was on Tyneside . He wasn't joking either he genuinely thought Sunderland was on Tyneside.

I got talking to a couple of Irish lads who tried having a bit of crack about the football.

They thought it was called the ‘Tyneside Derby’ and that Sunderland was on the opposite side of the river to Newcastle and we were divided by the Tyne. They’d both visited Newcastle.