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> What kind of heartless monster trains kids to be as literal as possible all the time? Why not strive to teach them about appropriate context instead? A heart
by randallsquared 8y ago
> What kind of heartless monster trains kids to be as literal as possible all the time? Why not strive to teach them about appropriate context instead?
A heartless monster who understands that "appropriate context" is a rapidly moving target in the modern world, and who wants to ensure that their kids grow up safe from either side of both misunderstandings and "misunderstandings", insofar as that is possible.
- misnome 8y agoHonestly interested, do you have kids that you make this statement? I don't, but appreciate that as an adult, "appropriate context" is a rapidly moving target, and it seems that being trained to be and assume all-literal, all the time would have left me deeply unprepared for interacting with other human beings in the real world.
- randallsquared 8y agoI do not yet have kids. I don't think that the original article author intended to convey that they're teaching their kids to be all-literal, all the time, but to take a verbal "no" very literally, other statements aside. Lastly, I don't know that I would actually choose to raise my kids this way. I might instead think that it's enough to warn them about people at appropriate (to me and them) times. However, I think that choosing to prioritize social safety over social ease is not an indefensible child-raising strategy.
- lupire 8y agoYes, I have kids. It's especially important for kids to learn how to express consent/non-consent clearly, because they can be easily manipulated, confused, and lied to. I don't want a molester or bully to teach my child that molestation was my child's fault because "'no' means 'yes'". "literal all the time" is absurd hyperbole. Literal about personal bodily safety is good sense. And frankly, sarcasm is a "low" way of speaking, and we'd all do better to have less of is, particularly because people tend to forget that sarcasm is communicated through tone, so they keep trying and failing to use sarcasm effectively in text communication.
- empath75 8y agoI also let my kids say no when they don’t want to be tickled because I think its important at a young age to know they should have some control over their bodies. Because I’m not going to be the only adult they interact with.
- lupire 8y ago"appropriate context" isn't so much a moving target, as it is something people are learning about rapidly, and taking victims more seriously.