Do kids learn things at a later age today (or not at all)?

[John Galt]

Somewhat off topic but related in a way - some skills can develop into careers but they need to be started early, sometimes very early.

I took up playing the violin as an adult (mid 50’s) and went searching for lessons. Unlike the guitar and most other instruments the violin teachers only want to take on beginners starting at about age 4 to 6 at the upper limit. Most independent violin and viola teachers won’t take on an adult as a beginner, and that means someone over the age of 12. Some schools have strings departments and they take on older kids but with limited success.

I think being competitive in skills like gymnastics, ballet, bike racing, skateboarding, shooting sports all require an early start.

 

[John105]

Well the title of this thread made me think back about 10 years ago when I was helping my neighbor fix up his front porch railings. He was not very handy but willing to learn and it was a two person job. During the day we were working my neighbors son, about 14 the time, was asked to help out.

I needed a hammer and had brought one over in my took kit. I asked the son to get me my hammer and a few minutes later I saw the son tapping his dad on the shoulder and holding up my hammer he whisper to his dad if this thing was a hammer? At 14 he didn’t know what a hammer was. That’s when it hit me how far today’s kids are from my childhood experiences.

You made me think about the fact that I was changing my parents’ oil at 12. They trusted me and they didn’t worry about my safety lol

I don’t think my son will be changing oil at that age, for his safety and the well being of our engines! So maybe we are different too from our parents. Likely less strict and there are plenty of material items now.

This is embarrassing. When I was 12, not all my jeans were Levi’s. As a matter of fact, likely only 1/5. I don’t mind dating myself. The rest were these

 

[alarmguy]

Electronics, it affects all aspects of human life now. As we exercise less than ever in the history of mankind we will continue our reliance on medical science to fix all our problems as a result of poor eating habits and a sedimentary lifestyle. THEN we will complain about high health care cost, pass the buck is what we do, blame everyone else.

Corporations control the majority and certainly your children through electronics, 24 hours a day now. No longer a simple matter of giving your kids 2 hours of TV time in their day.
Some might say we, they are more educated knowing the ins and outs of the digital world, no they are not, they can no longer independently think and as they grow up, corporations are assured they will not be competition for them as they will be employees by them.

 

[D60]

I'm sure I'm biased as a cyclist but I have to believe (actually, I know) riding has to help your balance and improve your instincts and understanding of physics related to ALL things that involve wheels.

You inherently come to understand shocks (your arms), ABS (stay light on the brakes in choppy terrain) and other basics like momentum and gear reduction etc. Also inclination vs angulation (applies to both cycling and skiing).

Are these skills necessary to survive as an IT guy working in the city? Nah. But I believe the greater your understanding of things like this, the more well-rounded you are in the real, physical world.

Tangentially related: when I worked ski school I'd ask a group of Texans to point down the fall line. You wouldn't believe where people would point; left, right, even uphill. I don't really know how people walk down the street......?

 

[John105]

Somewhat off topic but related in a way - some skills can develop into careers but they need to be started early, sometimes very early.

I took up playing the violin as an adult (mid 50’s) and went searching for lessons. Unlike the guitar and most other instruments the violin teachers only want to take on beginners starting at about age 4 to 6 at the upper limit. Most independent violin and viola teachers won’t take on an adult as a beginner, and that means someone over the age of 12. Some schools have strings departments and they take on older kids but with limited success.

I think being competitive in skills like gymnastics, ballet, bike racing, skateboarding, shooting sports all require an early start.

So how is your playing? As long as you enjoy it, why not? It’s still a form of art and worthwhile imho

When I was up in Toronto a vendor told me up here, every parent thinks their kid is going to the NHL. The fact is < .001 will ever step on the ice in an NHL game, let alone actually be on a team.

Admittedly I was over zealous putting my kid on skates < 2. He never got past the walker.

 

[John105]

I'm sure I'm biased as a cyclist but I have to believe (actually, I know) riding has to help your balance and improve your instincts and understanding of physics related to ALL things that involve wheels.

You inherently come to understand shocks (your arms), ABS (stay light on the brakes in choppy terrain) and other basics like momentum and gear reduction etc. Also inclination vs angulation (applies to both cycling and skiing).

Are these skills necessary to survive as an IT guy working in the city? Nah. But I believe the greater your understanding of things like this, the more well-rounded you are in the real, physical world.

Tangentially related: when I worked ski school I'd ask a group of Texans to point down the fall line. You wouldn't believe where people would point; left, right, even uphill. I don't really know how people walk down the street......?

Along these lines, it’s never too late to learn in the sense that learning is valuable. I used to think that my skiing ability was hindered by starting at age 12. But I actually think today it was limited by my natural ability. I could ski the steepest trail in New England at the time (Outer Limits) but not very well. Unlike my HS buddies.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I know a couple young kids. For example my niece who is 12 and my nephews who will be 6 and 4 this year can’t ride bikes. My sister puts a tablet and phone in front of them and calls it learning. My coworkers kids can’t ride them they sit inside in front of a screen too. I learned to ride around 7 mainly because my parents didn’t own bikes and I was scared till another neighborhood kid moved in and encouraged me.

 

[supton]

Hate to admit but my kids don't know how to ride a bike. First decade plus of their lives we lived on the side of a hill, on a busy street, so I drove a few times to the school so they could ride around in the parking lot. Couple years ago my daughter tried again around our new house (more flat) but wasn't getting it. I'll bike like 2k per year, so it's a bit of a shame.

I tried hard to teach my kids how to drive before they turned 15. They refused to learn. My dad had to hold me back--we had to push our kids to get licenses. I think they are grateful now but it'll be a long time before they are demons on the road, they are very much by the book drivers. Which is good... but I think they are missing the point of being teenagers: convinced that you know everything, and are immortal.

 

[ATex7239]

Riding bikes, skating, skate boarding, etc are nice to know things, but not mandatory like before. Swimming should be mandatory though because it could save your life.

 

[97prizm]

My example is my son is 10. And he didn't learn to ride a bike until this summer. I say it's my fault and I was worried, because I know I learned at 5 and I was thinking that I learned to ski at 12, and I never to this day caught up to my buddies who started at 4.

Luckily, my wife taught my son to ride his bike in 2 days. When I mentioned this to coworkers and friends, I was astounded to learn that many of their kids are either almost the same age, or older, and do not ride a bike. And the parents are not concerned.

I have found that some kids don't swim, don't ice skate, don't do a lot of things that were normal when I was growing up. I don't think there is any one reason but I have a sneaking suspicion about electronics.

With the bike thing, I do think the pandemic was a factor, but it is not really "the" reason. My coworker just this week said he "dropped the ball" as both kids were supposed to learn to skate and ride a bike this year, but he hasn't taken them (they are like 6 and 4 so imho not a huge deal).

Could it be the trend is also to be "expert" on one thing, and not all? I do still think that kids have the potential to learn faster than an adult. Another example with my son is that he learned to ice skate in only 4 sessions.

This and I've met a few co-workers that have high school aged kids that don't drive or have a learners permit! Ack! Really? I couldn't wait to drive. So if this trend continues we're going to have 30ish something's in a decade or so that have very little driving experience.

 

[97prizm]

Riding bikes, skating, skate boarding, etc are nice to know things, but not mandatory like before. Swimming should be mandatory though because it could save your life.

I almost drowned as a kid when I fell through my life jacket. It scarred me for life, im 42 now. I've stayed my happy rear end out of the pool or anywhere close to water.

 

[Chris142]

I am 55 and I had bike @4 or so..Got a dirt bike @8 and was maintaining it myself. I could drive a car with a manual transmission @9. Infact I taught my mom how to drive manual when my dad dropped off a new Subaru then left.

I was pulling heads and engines @14 at a friends dads shop.

I was beating on the dmv door the day after my 16th birthday and passed the driving test with 100% in that stick shift subaru.

My parents had me reading before 1st grade. I went into 1st grade with a 12th grade reading level.

 

[IndyIan]

I guess I kind of make it a priority that my kids can do most of the sports/activities I did as a kid and a few more. Skating, mountain biking, dirt bikes, snowmobiling, canoeing, some white water kayaking, ski racing, baseball, chopping wood, shooting, helping fix our old junk, camping, etc. I haven't got them using my tractor, or chainsaw yet, but they've cut down a few trees supervised and unsupervised...
We have a hobby farm too, so they see animals born, and grow, and die, and butchered ,and end up on the dinner plate. We should build some wood structure together, but summers are pretty short here so they get booked up.
They do have their share of screen time though.... Still too much I think, but I try to steer them to learn something about an activity they actually do, so they can try something new out.

 

[Lyman]

I rode a bike at 5 and a 125 dirt bike at 10. I was driving a car at 14. My grandsons were riding bikes at 5. My kids were 7-8 riding bikes. I think a lot depends on the environment in which they are raised.

 

[JTK]

I've heard from quite a few teachers that they have 4th graders or beyond that can't tie their shoes. We are kind of swirling the bowl as a society IMO.

 

[alarmguy]

I've heard from quite a few teachers that they have 4th graders or beyond that can't tie their shoes. We are kind of swirling the bowl as a society IMO.

Many will not agree with me and many will and many really haven't thought too deeply about it. (I do think too much)
With that said. I will most likely be gone from this planet but the USA is going to lose its edge in the world someday. We wont have enough independent thinkers to advance ourselves, other third world countries will pull ahead possibly. Those are the ones that by no choice of theirs are forced or driven to come up with solutions because they cant afford to buy the solution.
(just a thought)
Meanwhile in the wealthy countries the kids are bought everything and do not have to invent a better life, they just have to become part of the economic workings of the "system" which means taking a job and having a sustainable income to continue to purchase the products they want and need. NO further thought required.

 

[andrew_j]

My kids learned at age 4 to ride bikes however surrounding neighborhood and kids peers are go getter type A parents mostly in upper middle class or upper class. In short motivated parents so into all paid organized sports from early age.

I live in coastal NH so swimming, skiing, skating, surfing beyond normal sports are introduced early.

I would think locale and demographics make a huge difference.

My eldest now 18 biked all over locale towns late at night too during Covid. The kids thankfully got together without us knowing it was way more than we thought (maskless being kids) and enjoyed their summers.

 

[SevenBizzos]

I taught my son how to ride a bike when he was seven or eight. The process took all of 15 minutes. He's been skiing since he was 18 months old. We had him as a proficient swimmer by nine (as that took two years).

At thirteen here are things he doesn't know: how a landline phone works, cursive writing (as he doesn't have a signature yet), addressing an envelope to mail, how to knot a tie, and how to set a table for a meal.

But he's a great cook, could probably change the oil in my car, and knows how sports betting lines work, so there is some good parenting to be had.

 

[John105]

This and I've met a few co-workers that have high school aged kids that don't drive or have a learners permit! Ack! Really? I couldn't wait to drive. So if this trend continues we're going to have 30ish something's in a decade or so that have very little driving experience.

I had my first accident at 16 and cried. It’s not about being tough, but rather mentally immature. I thought I have ruined my parents car and it will cost them money. What I had done, not what my parents would say nor do.

It was at night with another 16 yo and we weren’t fooling around, just driving to the junior high for a debate club meeting.

But true we’re of the genreration that wanted our own car. My first car was a 244DL Volvo, 4 speed manual, manual steering, OHV B20, rusted out fenders and 1/4’s. But it had ice cold air (I would never have AC for another 13 years) and it was all mine. And I loved her!

 

[alarmguy]

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