What were your kids NOT able to do until an embarrassingly late age?

[Magpie]

Since there were folks who felt the other thread was just a lot of obnoxious bragging, why don't we share some our kids' (and by extension, our) failings? Those things you thought they knew how to do, but it turned out they didn't.

My seventeen year old son told everyone he knew how to ride a bike so he could sign up for an overnight bike trip with his grade 12 class. He did not know how to ride a bike. He got on, he fell off, he got on again... The consequences for him and his knees and palms were pretty much exactly what you'd imagine. My favourite bit was the part where he got lost and ended up cyling in circles in a provincial park, until his teacher eventually tracked him down. A parent took pity on him the next day and gave him a lift home.

And my extremely clever daughter (she was reading Harry Potter by age four) once texted me from a babysitting gig to ask why the water she'd put on the stove wasn't boiling. She'd put the burner on medium, instead of high. She was seventeen! Yeah, I teased her about that.

What about your kids?

 

[bigbabyblues]

My youngest couldn't tie his shoes forever. We worked with him and worked with him, and he just couldn't get it. He is left handed and the rest of us are right handed, so I guess it seemed backwards to him. His.....ahem....3rd grade teacher was left handed and it took her about 5 minutes to teach him.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was teasing dd's 18 year old boyfriend because he had no idea how to use a can opener (very Italian family, mom cooked, plus they made everything from scratch, even canned their own tomatoes).

The next day ds15 admitted he had no idea how to use a can opener!

 

[Kitty 34]

My oldest couldn't swallow a pill until he was 16 years old!!!

 

[Christine]

My son was between 3.5 and 4 before he was potty trained.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I'm sure my kids COULD walk to school alone considering we live like seven houses down from the entrance but they don't.

They are horrible at brushing their teeth. Scrubbing their butts they're fine at. Brushing their teeth? Not so much. My husband and I still go over them.

I still have to get DD's clothes ready in the morning. She's hopeless in that department.

They're 9 year old twins for reference .

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

DD1 couldn't jump. She was 5 before she got the concept of bending her knees and pushing off the ground. Perfectly fine in every other milestone, she just couldn't nail this one.

DS couldn't tie his shoes either, at least the "normal" way. He had to do "bunny ears" until he was 10.

DD2 didn't really learn to drive until she was 18, other than a few rounds at drivers ed at school and about a dozen attempts at home. We tried to teach her, but she wouldn't listen to direction at all. If we said anything to her, whether it was "adjust your seat so you sit higher" or "slow down, the speed limit changed" or "turn on the lights, it's getting dark", she would ignore it, then when we'd repeat ourselves, she'd get all teen-girl attitude with you. Complete with screaming, tears, and when stopped, slamming doors. We figured she wasn't ready, and so denied her getting her license.

 

[elphaba91]

My oldest couldn't swallow a pill until he was 16 years old!!!

I was even older than that - I think I was 21!

 

[Marlyn]

My son was between 3.5 and 4 before he was potty trained.

Same here. I had twins and potty training didn't go well for them. They were 4. I was beginning to panic, but my Dr assured me that it would be fine. She was right, one day they just decided they would do it, and that was that.

 

[JessNewt]

DD1 couldn't jump. She was 5 before she got the concept of bending her knees and pushing off the ground. Perfectly fine in every other milestone, she just couldn't nail this one.

DS couldn't tie his shoes either, at least the "normal" way. He had to do "bunny ears" until he was 10.

DD2 didn't really learn to drive until she was 18, other than a few rounds at drivers ed at school and about a dozen attempts at home. We tried to teach her, but she wouldn't listen to direction at all. If we said anything to her, whether it was "adjust your seat so you sit higher" or "slow down, the speed limit changed" or "turn on the lights, it's getting dark", she would ignore it, then when we'd repeat ourselves, she'd get all teen-girl attitude with you. Complete with screaming, tears, and when stopped, slamming doors. We figured she wasn't ready, and so denied her getting her license.

Not about my kids, but I can only tie my shoes using the "bunny ears" method!! I tried the normal way, can't get the hang of it!

I'll be 31 in April

 

[Magpie]

DD2 didn't really learn to drive until she was 18, other than a few rounds at drivers ed at school and about a dozen attempts at home. We tried to teach her, but she wouldn't listen to direction at all. If we said anything to her, whether it was "adjust your seat so you sit higher" or "slow down, the speed limit changed" or "turn on the lights, it's getting dark", she would ignore it, then when we'd repeat ourselves, she'd get all teen-girl attitude with you. Complete with screaming, tears, and when stopped, slamming doors. We figured she wasn't ready, and so denied her getting her license.

Hey, my daughteris 20 and doesn't seem to be making much progress learning to drive. While my 18 year son has announced he has no intention of learning to drive at all.

I really can't say anything about it, as I never learned myself. It's really not necessary in my town.

 

[mjkacmom]

My oldest couldn't swallow a pill until he was 16 years old!!!

My 15 year old can't (her 4 siblings can). She has tried SO many times, we've tried everything! Thank goodness she's only 85 pounds, and only needs 3 chewable motrins. It's ridiculous!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

DD couldn't tie her shoes until the middle of 3rd grade. Even now at 17 she still uses the bunny ears method.

Neither kid could ride a bike until late middle school. We bought them each bikes twice when they were younger, but they refused to learn until their friends made fun of them! Gotta love peer pressure!

 

[indygirl99]

Our kids Heck there are so many things I have had trouble figuring out how to do.

One of the grandkids, when he was 3, told me "Gama no learn, you have a toopid phone". He knew he couldn't call me stupid. And yes he showed me how to take pictures with the cell phone. There are so many things that I have struggled with and the grandkids will say. "Here Gama do it this way, or use this button."

My 16 yr old granddaughter offered to teach me how to drive a stick shift. Yeah we both looked at each other, laughed and decided that probably was not a good idea.

My sister to this day can not figure out how to use a microwave or put gas in her car and she has her PhD.

 

[Magpie]

Not about my kids, but I can only tie my shoes using the "bunny ears" method!! I tried the normal way, can't get the hang of it!

I'll be 31 in April

I think I do, too? What is the "normal" method, anyway?

 

[pocomom]

Well, not my kids, but I didn't know how to write a check until a cashier at the grocery store showed me. I was probably 19-20. And my brother thought that when a credit card company said your limit was $500 that they gave you $500 to spend, and you didn't have to pay it back.
He also came home from college and asked me to show him how to hard boil an egg. He had wasted nearly a dozen and couldn't get it right. I asked him to show me what he did and he proceeded to crack the egg into a spaghetti pot of boiling water.
One of the reasons I try to foster independence and life skills in my kids!

 

[Disneylover99]

My son never mastered pumping himself on a swing. He just couldn't get the right rhythm going.

 

[JessNewt]

I think I do, too? What is the "normal" method, anyway?

I know it starts with 1 bunny ear, loop other lace around..... throw shoes in closet and wear slip ons.

 

[bethy]

My DD14 still struggles to fix her own hair. She cannot braid it to save her life and struggles getting pony tails in that stay put!

 

[gemini2727]

I finally let my daughter (with her friend) walk over to the friend's house one day (about a block away). I forget their ages, but they were both beyond the age of worry at that point. I was watching them from my back window as they (attempted) to cross the street...they stood on the curb, and looked right, and left...and right, and left....and right and left...I wanted to yell out the window "Just cross already!!" Omg, I want her to be careful, but not that careful!