A sign of the times? More kids can use a Smartphone than tie their shoes
A recent article posted by Great Start for child care states that more children can use a smartphone than tie their shoes. Here is the article: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/434010_kids24.html.
As I read it a small part of me was surprised and intrigued, but then, the more I read and thought about it, the more it made sense I have to admit my 7-year-old son can use a Smartphone, and he is still struggling to learn how to tie his shoes. He does know how to ride a bike. Our 4-year-old also can use a smartphone, at least to a small extent to play games. However she does not know how to tie her shoes yet. She is working on it.
Which is a more important life skill?
Melissa Boehling | Contributor
Part of me thinks it’s sad because that was a basic skill we all learned as a child, but is it really a life skill? Or is it really just part of life moving on? I’m sure when kids (at least the majority) stopped learning how to milk a cow and/or hunt, there may have been similar thoughts of, "Wow, that used to be a basic life skill." Now we have stores to buy milk and food at, so is the skill of tying a shoe going the same route, especially now that they make so many varies of shoes that are slip on, Velcro or other convenient options? I do remember a girl in our senior year that was in the top 10 of our class — extremely smart but she still couldn’t tie her shoes. She would have to ask someone else to help her. Did it make her any less smart? Not in my eyes, but it did seem odd that she didn’t know how. Again, it didn’t really make a difference in the realm of things as she went on to be successful.
What are your thoughts? Is this an issue or just a sign of the times?
Melissa Boehling, IT Consultant, and mother of four (twin sons in heaven, a 7-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter.)
Comments
Melissa Boehling
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 3 p.m.
I completely agree with both of you. It seems human nature to learn and retain skills as we need them. I have friends who are very technical and comfortable with new technology and in the same generation have friends who are still nervous and try to avoid technology when they can. It comes from their lives and whether the need or desire was there to have to stay up with technology, or at least you can see that in most. Thanks for your comments.
LAEL
Wed, Jan 26, 2011 : 3:21 p.m.
Me, too! I folded a lot of clean laundry as a kid, but never actually ran a load in the washer until college.
Eva Johnson
Wed, Jan 26, 2011 : 5:04 a.m.
I think that our kids are on a "need to know" schedule. For example, I didn't know how to do laundry when I went to college (true story). However, I learned fast. My kids can operate computers and yet, they still can't always button the buttons on their shirt or tie their shoes. I know they are smart, but since they don't care, they don't make it a priority to learn how. Nice thoughts!