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

[bethbuchall]

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?

I'm glad that you posted this. One of my many failures in parenting is that somehow we never taught my youngest how to ride a bike. He's not quite 17. Maybe we'll put that on the summer bucket list. I'm glad that he's not the only one!

 

[BellsFam]

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.

UGH... MIL cannot pump her own gas! DH has to meet her at a gas station or go to her house drive her car and pump it for her!!! It drives me insane!!! (60s!!!)

I didn't get braces until I was 21... And had them for two more years! My mom wouldn't do it until my wisdom teeth were out and no dentist would put me under due to my medical history until I was older...

 

[bethbuchall]

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

My youngest is 16 and still has problems with some of the bigger ones. Between this and not knowing how to ride a bike, it sounds like he's a real mess, but he's really intelligent and well-adjusted.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

My son didn't learn to drive until he was 18. When he was still learning we were driving to Texas, I let him get behind the wheel, and he crashed the car. It was in the shop in Blythe for a month. My daughter didn't learn until she was 21 and had to. I never could understand why they waited so long to learn to drive.

Neither one (in my opinion) can wash dishes decently. Drives me crazy.

 

[DLgal]

My kids (11 and 10) still can't tie shoes. We use lock laces.

My 10 year old cannot cut food with a knife.

My 11 year old can't skip.

My 10 year old can't clip his own nails.

My 10 year old cannot drink our of any container without a straw; he literally will spill all over himself if he tries to drink from a cup. He can't get the hang of tipping the cup *just* the right amount.

However, they both have some crazy abilities in other areas that are things many adults couldn't do if their lives depended on it. So, it all balances out.

 

[primgirl]

My kids were really late talkers. They would say words, but very few sentences. We had them in speech therapy because we were so concerned. Dh and I are very quiet people and we ended up with quiet children. They are 17 and 15 and are excellent students, but they are still the quiet kids in class.

 

[mnrose]

My son was 13 before he rode a bike. Late. He still doesn't ride well.

And, he didn't learn to walk until he was almost 16 months old. Didn't hardly talk until he was older than 2. None of these things have hindered him too much. LOL.

 

[ronandannette]

My son didn't learn to drive until he was 18. When he was still learning we were driving to Texas, I let him get behind the wheel, and he crashed the car. It was in the shop in Blythe for a month. My daughter didn't learn until she was 21 and had to. I never could understand why they waited so long to learn to drive.

DS got his learner's permit a little later than some (16 and was eligible at 14) and it took him 5 or 6 tries to pass the written test. He then learned to drive in a fairly normal fashion, including professional lessons and 100's of hours of practise, but again, bombed the road test 7 TIMES!! Eight time's the charm - he finally passed two weeks ago at the age of 19.

 

[mamamary]

My daughter can't get eye drops in her eyes. We can't even get them in for her. I don't even want to remember the eye dr visit last year. She was one memorable patient. It's just a horrible fear. She's 17.

Oh I was in my early 20s before I got my drivers license. Lived in New York so never really needed it

 

[nene0182]

My son is notoriously known for doing everything at a later age then most. He just does things in his own time. He didn't walk until he was 18 months old, was potty trained two weeks before he turned 4, rode with training wheels until he was 8 and at almost 13, I'm not sure if he really knows how to tie his shoes.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

My oldest didn't walk until she was 18 months old. She cruised around holding onto things, there was nothing wrong...best we can figure is, she tried it, got mad when she fell, and said "the hell with this".

All three of my kids were also late potty trainers.

 

[disykat]

We used to swear that our oldest was going to go to college not being able to use a spoon. I can't remember how old he was, but I do remember starting to give him soup to force the issue!

 

[leebee]

DD22 didn't get her license until she was 20. She took driver's ed when she was 16 but just really, really hated to drive. She was pretty scared, and didn't feel confident in her ability to control a machine that could hurt/kill people. We didn't push it, and when she was finally ready, she got her license. She still doesn't love to drive (like I do- LOVE to drive!) but is happy to have her license and drives all the time.

She also has never really learned to ride a bike. When she was 1-5 years old, the neighborhood where we lived was a bunch of townhouses. There were driveways every 20 feet, and she ALWAYS stopped for the driveways. She never could ride far enough to get the hang of it- especially with training wheels. When she was 6 and 7 we lived on a steep hill with plenty of traffic and no sidewalks, and then we moved to the "city" until she was 10; there really was no place to ride safely. After that it wasn't such a big deal; she was in the dance studio 4-6 hours a day and didn't much free time. Her bff finally taught her to ride a bike during senior year of high school!

Same with swimming. She hated the water when she was little; I think she was 3 or 4 before I could get her off the steps of the hotel swimming pool, even with floaties and a vest! We've never been "hang around the pool people" and as DD got older, she was happy to play in the pool or ocean, but didn't swim. She finally signed up for classes at the YWCA when she was 15 and learned to swim. She's an OK swimmer- certainly can keep herself afloat- but she can't really swim very much, far, or well!

On the other hand, she can do 20 fouette turns en pointe (look it up on YouTube, it's pretty cool), lift her leg up in the air until her knee is by her ear and then releve up onto pointe, and sit with her feet tucked behind her neck... we all have special talents!

 

[AmazingGrace]

My twenty year old ds, pretty much delayed in everything, until about age seven when he had a brain tumor removed. Amazing what a difference that made in his development.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

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.

Doesn't it sort of create issues when you LEAVE your town? Yikes! I'd be lost with no license

On that note, DD15 keeps saying she can't remember which pedal does what - and the car's an automatic. :Facepalm: She's taking her permit test on Monday. Lord help us.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

DS15 1/2 - couldn't get himself out of bed until 15 1/2! (haha). Still pretends like he has no idea what I'm talking about when I say "empty the dishwasher" (I'm on to him now....) Still pinches his nose shut when he jumps underwater. Has no desire to learn how to drive a car. (we are forcing him to start driver's ed April 12th!)

DD11 1/2 - still has absolutely no ability to run like a normal person. And she has these gorgeous long legs - she should be able to run!

DS10 - wore the same pants (and underwear, I am assuming) to school until Wednesday one week when he was in 3rd grade. When I finally noticed, his "punishment" was that he had to take a shower every single day for two weeks so he could get in the habit of changing his clothes every day. (It worked!)

Oh, goodness - now that I've typed all this out, what am I thinking going away for 4 days??!!! My kids obviously have no chance in life as it is.....

 

[MomofKatie]

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!

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!

We found out a few weeks ago DD17 had absolutely no idea how to use the can opener, either. DH and I laughed so hard as she tried to figure it out!

I admit, it is mostly my fault she is out of her element in the kitchen. When she was little, she wanted to "help" me cook. Unfortunately, I am not good with delegating or teaching- 95% of the time, I ended up either doing things for her or shooing her away and just getting it done myself. Now, she is pretty useless at cooking.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

None of my kids are interested in driving. I have no problem with this. Happy actually. We have good public transportation.

 

[leebee]

DS15 1/2 - couldn't get himself out of bed until 15 1/2! (haha). Still pretends like he has no idea what I'm talking about when I say "empty the dishwasher" (I'm on to him now....) Still pinches his nose shut when he jumps underwater. Has no desire to learn how to drive a car. (we are forcing him to start driver's ed April 12th!)

DD11 1/2 - still has absolutely no ability to run like a normal person. And she has these gorgeous long legs - she should be able to run!

DS10 - wore the same pants (and underwear, I am assuming) to school until Wednesday one week when he was in 3rd grade. When I finally noticed, his "punishment" was that he had to take a shower every single day for two weeks so he could get in the habit of changing his clothes every day. (It worked!)

Oh, goodness - now that I've typed all this out, what am I thinking going away for 4 days??!!!

 

[Minnesota!]

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.

My youngest just learned this year, too. 3rd grade. So frustrating!

He also could go weeks without changing clothes if I let him.