Basic things younger people don't know.

I am never bothered by what people do not know, especially younger people, what bothers me is the incapacity of people of all ages to find things out for themselves, even in these days of the internet google and YouTube.

My wholecareer was based on finding things out and I am often pasting on GN quite easily accesssible and findable links to everyday information.

My experience of life way back consisted of trial and error. A beautiful angora jersey reduced to doll size through being washed thoroughly and vigorously in my Hoover washing machine, and again thoroughly spun dried in my NEW Spinner rinse, thoughtfully given to me by my lovely mother. Didn't do that again! Another disaster was a blouse melted by a very hot iron, my sons terry towelling nappies turned bright yellow by the addition of a yellow duster! (put in by mistake) he had to wear them as they were expensive to buy, and so it went on until I finally got more eefficient and careful! We all live in the countryside so family young and old are pretty au fait with everyday practicalities. On the domestic front certainly more than I was.

Absolutely agree Shelflife but I do think it matters. Some people’s table manners leave a lot to be desired and I shudder inside everytime I see people using their forks like shovels instead of using both knife and fork. I think it’s an American influence as that seems to be the standard way of eating in America. A few years ago we had dinner in a restaurant on Beale St in Memphis and as we got up to leave another couple came up to us at the door and started chatting to us. They were from England, and said ‘we knew you were British’. When I asked how they knew that they said ‘because you were using your knife and fork properly!’ I think that’s my rant over for today but I’ve always believed if you have good table manners and know what cutlery to use and how, you’ll never feel out of place no matter how posh the restaurant.

Redhead56

They don’t seem to realise leaving the lights on costs money and just switching them off saves money.

That was my dad’s old complaint! He used to follow us round turning them off!

When my youngest daughter first started driving, she rang me at work one day and said "mum", "a long tube-y thing has fallen off the bottom of the car"!
When I first had a car it was an old banger and used to break down a lot so I learned basic car stuff but these days their first cars are much newer and probably much safer (thank goodness!)

At Teacher traning college the ethos we were given was that we teach children how to learn, not necessarily the subject.

We had our “second” family quite old (I had three further children at 39, 42 & 44) so we still have young adult children (20, 22 & 25) living at home as well as older children in late thirties living on their own. All know how to hold a pen and eat properly, some of them choose their own way write/eat. They’ve all heard of WW1 & WW2, none think cheese comes from a cheese plant and they all seem to know a whole host of things of which I’ve never hear !! So just not sure I agree with OP’s post

It doesn't suprise me that a young woman didn't know there was a fuse in a plug.

I would not have known either as the UK is, as far as I know the only country that has that system.

The rest of us have fuse boxes - the new ones you just move a lever back up again if a fuse blows and everything starts working again.

As for what the young don't know: some is is our fault for not having told them these things, others are things they have never, or not yet, needed to know.

My son told me he had to Google how to fill in a cheque as he hadn't written one for years!

What’s weird to me is when someone holds their knife and fork in the opposite hands to what is accepted practice. I’m not talking about left-handed people. I don’t know how they manage to cut things, but maybe they’re eating things that don’t need cutting, so the fork is in the right hand (which I often do when it’s appropriate) and the knife in the left hand is just for show!

Fuse boxes apply to the electrical wiring in your house. A fuse in a plug applies only to that gadget - if the fuse in the plug goes, it won’t work anywhere.

Biscuitmuncher

Caught my daughters boyfriend opening a sachet of silica gel to sprinkle on his crisps

Oh no. That reminds me of the comedian whose name escapes me telling a joke about buying a new microwave and thinking the sachet of silica gel was a free ready meal ?

Shelflife

I notice young people don't hold / use a knife and fork in a way I consider proper. I suppose it doesn't really matter, but knives and forks are designed to be held in a certain way. No big deal I recognize that but I wonder why?

It’s not just young people who do this. I hate to see people holding their cutlery like a pen, but I’m probably an old fogey. It just looks wrong and the knife won’t cut properly.

I was fitting together a ‘Billy’ bookcase the other day (IKEA)….. and now it’s very easy , but with my old hands…not so! My granddaughter and my sil came in to where I was and asked if they could help. Very gratefully handed over the Allen key to sil to finish…. In the meantime the granddaughter had got the second flatpack open and was putting it together faster than me ….she’s 10!
And she’s always there when I’m struggling with technology!! Each generations has its merits. ….if they took on board every generations teaching …their poor brains would explode! They need to know what’s necessary for the age they live in!

They watch too much American tv and films. For example Friends and Schitts Creek.

A fork does not have to be used in a particular way and may have a design evolved for meat and fish. There's no reason not to use it in the American manner especially with baked beans, say. We don't all live in Downton Abbey!

Our eldest son when a teenager couldn't believe that adult children paid their parents 'board'!!
He was scandalised and said 'you have to pay for living in your own house! That's ridiculous!' ?

I agree that teaching people how to find information is the way to go, but sometimes they don’t know that they don’t know.

And yet I still see people posting almost aggressive responses to grandmothers who feel ignored, and who feel they have no input into the way their son/daughter is raising their grandchildren. Now, I'm certainly not for criticising or interfering, but the odd piece of gentle advice is surely what we are here for? In fact, it is very sad that such advice isn't sought after, because it can be very reassuring. There is so much you do not know, when you're in your 20s and 30s, and the internet can be confusing and misleading. Elders should be respected and valued, but instead we have the doctrine of individualism and independence - new parents should be 'able to do it THEIR way.' Ah well! - the verdict will be pronounced by their own children, and I think they will realise they did not 'know best', any more than we did.

Calendargirl

growstuff

Shelflife

I notice young people don't hold / use a knife and fork in a way I consider proper. I suppose it doesn't really matter, but knives and forks are designed to be held in a certain way. No big deal I recognize that but I wonder why?

Maybe because their parents didn't teach them.

My teenage GC were certainly taught how to use cutlery, but now, at 17 and 14, choose to use them differently.

GS just seems to shovel food into his mouth and GD abandons her knife and uses her fork only, in one hand, even though it seems to make getting the actual food into her mouth harder than if she used both.

These habits seem to have been acquired since starting secondary school.

I am surprised their parents tolerate that, my son and daughter in law wouldn’t with their teenage children

Barmyoldbat Love that one. Been chuckling in between doing a tidy up!

Kirkcubbin..?- i mentioned to my youngest (19) about how we had blackouts back in 70's as well- & he said "whats blackouts?"

I had explain or he'd have got a huge shock if he thinks he's going to playing video games& theres no power?

Curlywhirley- it was a surprise for elder son (23) too when i told him he'd have to pay his way a bit when he left college? He still thinks i should be 'treating' him to a lot of extras that wouldnt be counted as 'bed& board'! (& cause im a softy, i often do!)?

I think this is through watching American films/tv.