Explaining geopolitics to a seven year-old

[Centurion1]

Nah man, when you get between me and my gubernatorial debates you get angry ACIN. They may not care about politics, but I do, and I am not going to let them prevent me from learning.

If you have to watch to watch Jersey Shore to feel like a superior human being, you need to hit the gym more often or something. Talk to some girls.

Every girl I have talked to who watches trash tv like Jersey Shore, real housewives etc...they all admit that they watch it to feel better about themselves. What have parents been doing these past 25 years? I see studies of students feeling more self confident but less prepared then ever before and then I look around and everyone seems to need some validation that they are not complete failures at life. I just don't understand people sometimes.

I get to watch a show and go hey, I am a million times smarter than these people. Plus Schadenfreude my friend schadenfreude.

Human nature dictates that we as humans love to laugh at others misfortune.

As for the gym....... I am pretty sure i'm in better shape than you since yah know..... it dictates my ability to attend University and I do talk to girls

[Lemur]

If the measure is "am I better than the people on Jersey Shore" then I guess 99.999% of fathers are successes. I'm trying to do a little better than that, though.

I need to think about this whole Socratic dialogue thing. You're right, of course, that eliciting answers out of him is more artful and a better exercise for his mind, but he's so freakin' young. I feel as though he needs to build up a database before I start wiring in queries. Dunno.

[Centurion1]

If the measure is "am I better than the people on Jersey Shore" then I guess 99.999% of fathers are successes. I'm trying to do a little better than that, though.

I need to think about this whole Socratic dialogue thing. You're right, of course, that eliciting answers out of him is more artful and a better exercise for his mind, but he's so freakin' young. I feel as though he needs to build up a database before I start wiring in queries. Dunno.

The one thing you do not want to do is put answers into his head. Let him come to his own beliefs rather than forcing him to inherit yours.

[HoreTore]

If the measure is "am I better than the people on Jersey Shore" then I guess 99.999% of fathers are successes. I'm trying to do a little better than that, though.

I need to think about this whole Socratic dialogue thing. You're right, of course, that eliciting answers out of him is more artful and a better exercise for his mind, but he's so freakin' young. I feel as though he needs to build up a database before I start wiring in queries. Dunno.

No no no no NO, my silly little Lemur

Learning through discovery is MORE important the younger the student gets, not less. A 20-year old can learn a subject through transfer of knowledge alone(I'd say not as good as througb discovery, but whatever), but in the younger years it is absolutely crucial to avoid transferring knowledge.

That was a lot harsher than intended, as what you were doing originally was learning through interaction, not the dreaded knowledge transfer. And learning through interaction is, of course, a whole new subject...

Your son has the knowledge of an 8-year old, which probably means "not that much" in this subject. I do understand your fear that he will be unable to connect the dots because he won't have any dots to begin with, so to speak. But he does have a lot of dots. He has spent years interacting with other children, he has travelled around, he can manipulate a wealth of items, he has felt a dozen feelings, etc etc. What you need to figure out is, as my old lecturer would say, "what is the situation now?" What is his related experience, what is his "dot"? Find it, and then challenge him. I'm a little distracted by Star Wars playing in the background now, so I'm not that good at examples right now... My advice would be to start small. Your son might wonder about everything related to nazi's. However, I can't see him learning anything by a 2-hour "Nazi 101"-lecture. Instead, focus on a minor aspect of the nazi's which you can tie to one of his "dots", for example the Fuhrer, which could be tied an influential kid your son knows which sometimes gets other kids to do something they might not want to do... I am quite certain that your son will have a wealth of opinions on that situation, and when you question him on what he felt, what he would do, what is right,why they did what they did, etc, what you are actually doing is forcing him to form an opinion on whether dictatorships are justified or not. Voila!





But a little disclaimer at the end: my focus is on the kids who are a little older than your son is, so I don't claim to be an expert on it, there is a reason the education is divided into age brackets... Kids at different ages learn through diffent ways, though I believe most of what I have written here is transferable.

[Vladimir]

If the measure is "am I better than the people on Jersey Shore" then I guess 99.999% of fathers are successes. I'm trying to do a little better than that, though.

I need to think about this whole Socratic dialogue thing. You're right, of course, that eliciting answers out of him is more artful and a better exercise for his mind, but he's so freakin' young. I feel as though he needs to build up a database before I start wiring in queries. Dunno.

They're you're children. They'll always be young.

[Major Robert Dump]

WHY R U EVEN TLKAING TO YOUR KIDS AIN'T YOU GOT A TV???????????

[Adrian II]

If the measure is "am I better than the people on Jersey Shore" then I guess 99.999% of fathers are successes. I'm trying to do a little better than that, though.

I need to think about this whole Socratic dialogue thing. You're right, of course, that eliciting answers out of him is more artful and a better exercise for his mind, but he's so freakin' young. I feel as though he needs to build up a database before I start wiring in queries. Dunno.

Just let the little cogs inside his head turn and whirr and do their job. He won't be 7 forever. My goldenrule with everything is: don't make any issue seem simpler that it is just because he is young.

It's the same with speech. If you speak in proper sentences to a child from the first day, his command of language will be much better than if you talk gibberish ('Oochy coochy baby want his milky?') to him for years.

AII

[Montmorency]

Relevant:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

WHEN A MAN POSSESSES THE INNOCENCE
OF A CHILD, WE CALL HIM A FOOL.
WHEN A CHILD POSSESSES THE CUNNING
OF A MAN, WE CALL HIM AN
ABOMINATION.
AS WITH LOVE, KNOWLEDGE HAS ITS
SEASON.

[Vladimir]

Relevant:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

WHEN A MAN POSSESSES THE INNOCENCE
OF A CHILD, WE CALL HIM A FOOL.
WHEN A CHILD POSSESSES THE CUNNING
OF A MAN, WE CALL HIM AN
ABOMINATION.
AS WITH LOVE, KNOWLEDGE HAS ITS
SEASON.

This is a picture of me when I was seven:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[a completely inoffensive name]

I get to watch a show and go hey, I am a million times smarter than these people. Plus Schadenfreude my friend schadenfreude.

Human nature dictates that we as humans love to laugh at others misfortune.

I guess. But for me, schadenfreude quickly turns into pity or contempt when those I am observing go from unfortunately incompetent to downright retarded.

As for the gym....... I am pretty sure i'm in better shape than you since yah know..... it dictates my ability to attend University and I do talk to girls

Yet somehow you still need to stroke your ego by laughing at guidos? Idk man, it's fine if that is what you love to do, but I guess I just roll differently then most people my age judging by the Nielsen ratings.

Also, no doubt you are in better shape than me, just saying I would rather spend another hour at the gym to feel good about myself then watching those back to back episodes of "**** ups in New Jersey"

[Centurion1]

I guess. But for me, schadenfreude quickly turns into pity or contempt when those I am observing go from unfortunately incompetent to downright retarded.



Yet somehow you still need to stroke your ego by laughing at guidos? Idk man, it's fine if that is what you love to do, but I guess I just roll differently then most people my age judging by the Nielsen ratings.

Also, no doubt you are in better shape than me, just saying I would rather spend another hour at the gym to feel good about myself then watching those back to back episodes of "**** ups in New Jersey"

Obviously my statements wee in jest to an extent. Watching Jersey Shore for me usually means going with some friends to the lounge on thursday nights and studying until something hilariously stupid happens in which I laugh and go back to work. It really hasn't that much to do with ego, the "it makes me feel better about myself" line is just an easy quip. I really watch because I actually find it rather humourous. Perhaps i'm a neanderthal for finding humor in a show like that but eh I don't care.

I think two hours at the gym is enough for me.......

Edit: And yeah at first it's almost pure Schadenfreude and then it sort of turns to cringing embarrassment for these people (I'm one of those people who can't bear to watch someone embarrass themselves even if its just acting, (like Michael in the office). Then it turns to a sick fascination like how are people this stupid and i desperately begin to search for signs that no these individuals aren't actually retarded. But sadly...... they are.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Obviously my statements wee in jest to an extent. Watching Jersey Shore for me usually means going with some friends to the lounge on thursday nights and studying until something hilariously stupid happens in which I laugh and go back to work. It really hasn't that much to do with ego, the "it makes me feel better about myself" line is just an easy quip. I really watch because I actually find it rather humourous. Perhaps i'm a neanderthal for finding humor in a show like that but eh I don't care.

Ahh I see.

Edit: And yeah at first it's almost pure Schadenfreude and then it sort of turns to cringing embarrassment for these people (I'm one of those people who can't bear to watch someone embarrass themselves even if its just acting, (like Michael in the office). Then it turns to a sick fascination like how are people this stupid and i desperately begin to search for signs that no these individuals aren't actually retarded. But sadly...... they are.

From what I have read, Jersey Shore is actually semi scripted. They tell the people what they are going to do for the night (go to a party or what have you), but then they just let them loose and film them interact with people.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I think that as long as your are talking with your child everyday, then everything will be alright. If they somehow have developed very odd or wrong philosophies about life (maybe the nazis were ultimately good for stopping communism), you can just correct it through more communication. Just keep talking to the kid and sooner or later your common sense will be imparted. But wtf do I know, I am young.

[HoreTore]

I think that as long as your are talking with your child everyday, then everything will be alright.

I agree wholeheartidly with this.

Also, a little extra comment: when you answer a question, don't lie. Don't give an answer if you don't know, say that you don't know instead. They'll see right through your lie and lose respect as a consequence. Find the answer and get back to him at a later time, or better yet, time and circumstances permitting, find some way he can figure it out himself.

And do remember Lemur, you only have a year or two before he has knowledge you don't have

[Adrian II]

I think that as long as your are talking with your child everyday, then everything will be alright.

Exactly, patience is the father of all good fathering.

AII

P.S. Dang, ninja'd by Norway again

[Adrian II]

Yeah, good job Lemur.

I have two of them, aged 13 and 16. I've been travelling through a minefield of such questions since the oldest got, oh, 13 or 14 years old. Always answer them to the best of your knowledge and to the full extent of your knowledge. If you're patient, they will always come back and ask about the things they didn't understand the first time round. Sometimes it'll take a year, but they will.

Also HoreTore's suggestion is excellent. I often initiate a good talk by asking them questions myself, over dinner for instance. Not to test their knowledge so much as to teach them to make up their own mind about things. I play the devil's advocate. You wouldn't believe what a fine Communist of proto-Fascist I make when I want to. They really like these 'debates' and the convivial atmosphere of dinner + the input of any table guests we have makes them even more fun.

AII