Basic things younger people don't know.

I find young people, who rely on Sat Nav, have no idea where anywhere is in relation to other places. Nor any general knowledge about where our cities are, what they were founded on and how they differ. That’s probably because one city centre is identical to all the others.

What is the point of this thread?

Probably it’s pointing out the difference between the generations, i.e. stuff most older people look on as basic knowledge is completely different to what most younger people look on it as.

( Note the use of the word ‘most’).

I think the most useful thing I know in my old age is how to use YouTube to find out how to do the things I don't know how to do.

I know of grans who can't operate smart phones or tablets and others who think Pinterest is the devil's work.

I can do rocket science, but can't replace power points to save my life. I can do PowerPoint though.

What is the point of this thread?

A teenage work Saturday girl I employed had no idea how to write an address on an envelope.

Ive met teens who cant even hold or operate a pair of scissors properly let alone thread a needle and sew. Screwing in a lighbulb, changing a fuse in a plug and even unscrewing a screw are regarded as rocket science.

In between whallopings from my dad he taught me all kinds of simple electrical skills like wiring a plug and using a drill. I was able to do light fittings, put up shelves and replace power points by my teen years. He also taught me card games and how to box.

Aveline

We had a very practical teacher in our last year at school. She showed us how to balance books, explained about taxes, savings and interest etc. I'd hated maths but the practical arithmetic was very much appreciated.

We used to teach a Money Management course to Y11s, but the government got rid of all that in 1989 with the National Curriculum.

Aveline

We had a very practical teacher in our last year at school. She showed us how to balance books, explained about taxes, savings and interest etc. I'd hated maths but the practical arithmetic was very much appreciated.

That reminds me of the time my daughter asked me how to write a cheque!! Now it's all cards and phones to pay bills.

My GS, when about 14, didn’t know how to get a bar of soap to ‘lather’.

I started using bar soap in Covid, and up to then, he had only used liquid soap.

He looked gone out when he said how useless the soap was, and I said he needed it to ‘lather’.

?

I remember Tomasz Schafernaker, the weather man, telling the truth on 'Would I Lie to You' that he had only recently found out that lambs were baby sheep. He had thought they were different breeds of animal.

We had a very practical teacher in our last year at school. She showed us how to balance books, explained about taxes, savings and interest etc. I'd hated maths but the practical arithmetic was very much appreciated.

There are those who know not, and know not that they know not. Those are fools: shun them.
There are those who know not, and know that they know not. Those are scholars: teach them.
There are those who know, and know not that they know. Those are heedless: remind them.
There are those who know and know that they know. Those are masters: follow them

I said to my 14 yr old Granson one time, it's Lashing down!! he said "what do you mean"

Know

I think a lot of youngsters do pretty well, the ones I know have certainly got their heads screwed on, in fact they knew and no a lot more things than I did when I was younger

volver

Maybe they should all get a second job, I hope they are not expecting to have the weekend off.

Now who’s stirring?

Wow...

volver

Maybe they should all get a second job, I hope they are not expecting to have the weekend off.

Indeed.

If a second job, and or weekend work is needed to pay bills rather than relying on the government stepping in with top ups.

When I was young I knew everything. As I have got older I have come to realise that I don’t.

My granddaughter,who lives in the city, was highly delighted to see a horse up close. She is 4. City kids miss out on a lot.

Maybe they should all get a second job, I hope they are not expecting to have the weekend off.

How to live on a very strict budget and save.

Why single out young people? I didn't know how to sort a problem with Alexa and it wasn't because I hadn't been taught it at school.

M0nica

Since everyone, including young people, carry a computer in their pocket, why do they not look it up?

When my children were in junior school, around the early 1980s, I read a letter in a newspaper from an 18 year old A level school leaver saying that school didn't teach anything useful. This person did not know how to open a bank account, get a mortgage, tax or insure a car and several other things.

So when my children came out of school, I asked them whether they knew how to open a bank account etc. DS was the elder and his response to the bank account question was: 'I would go into a bank and ask.' We went down the list and his response was always. I would go into a building society/post office etc etc and ask. There was one he didn't know, but thought and said, 'I expect there is somewhere I could go and ask.'

This divergence between what older people think younger people should know and what they do know has always been there, and depressingly, despite the omnipresence of google, too many of them never seem to have been taught how to find things out for themselves.

My kids are in their 30s. I guarantee that opening a bank account, getting a mortgage, and taxing and insuring a car have all changed since they were in school.
I'm with M0nica, teaching your children how to find things out is the important skill.
And giving them the confidence to ask.

Aye Luckygirl3 ‘it’s true?
But do you remember the school summer holidays? They seemed to stretch out wonderfully before us? - I almost felt like a different person by the time the new term began.
And can you also recall having an unfamiliar “stand in” teacher or having to reluctantly stay somewhere overnight/ or a horrible lesson that d-r -a -g -g -e -d on and on.
It is familiarity, prior experience and years of dull routine or contentment that make time seem elastic imo