Topic: professors

[Raisa]

almost all of em are idiots

But Alison Garton, a professor of psychology at Western Australia's Edith Cowan University, said such statements put too much pressure on Bindi.

"She's obviously a very poised and mature eight-year-old, but I think some of these public statements are probably a bit extreme in this point in time," Prof Garton said.

"She's only eight and she probably doesn't even understand properly what it means not to have Daddy around anyway."

WTF.  "what it means not to have daddy around anyway" I hate how they judge children that way.  The kids usually understand much much more than adults think. 

Just because she's just 8 doesn't mean that she doesn't understand.  I'm sure there'll be a lot of struggles, but..  I feel sorry for Prof Garton for looking at it from such an angle.

I knew a kid who was 2 years old, he couldn't understand complete sentences, but when his older cousins watched Land Before Time, he wasn't allowed, but during the part where the mom of littlefoot died, and littlefoot went running to his shadow.. we heard sniffling and crying, and he was there peeping in the doorway.  When we asked what was wrong, he said "poor baby, no mama now".

But cultural studies lecturer Dr Karen Brooks, from the University of the Sunshine Coast, said Bindi would simply be continuing what she had already been doing.

"Bindi lived an exceptional life - it was different to a lot of other young people, and I think what we see as extraordinary and incredible expectations are probably within her world of reality," Dr Brooks said.

that's more like it. 

full article

Kids can be dumb, that's true.  But adults can be way dumber.  I think as people get older, they forget that there are two ways of learning something.  There's intellectual learning which it seems more people give importance too.  And then there's practical learning, like lessons of the heart, lessons of life. People who usually learn the practical stuff are easier to deal with and make more sense IMHO

[Xessive]

Adults in general seem to underestimate children. I think they just forgot what it was like to be a child, and so they just assume kids don't pick up on certain things. I remember we were discussing this subject in a linguistics class, and most people thought children obviously don't understand because of an underdeveloped brain, but professor explained that as it turns out whether or not they do understand a child's brain is like a sponge; it will absorb all sorts of information.

[Raisa]

well how would they explain people with no brains?

[Xessive]

They were generally pricks, so they'd probably come up with a seemingly reasonable explanation for a lobotomy.

[ren]

The adult notion that children don't understand anything has always bothered me. I was probably more exposed to it than most kids because of the amount of time I spent exposed to the "adult" world when I was a kid. You'd be surprised the amount of times adults would talk about you while you're in the room assuming you can't understand because they're speaking using more complicated language. News articles, TV, they would all make kids out to be idiots. Even when I started posting here I'd lie about my age because everything would always get blamed on stupid 12 year olds. Now I'm 17, and lots of adults still think they can easily manipulate me, or don't listen to what I say because I'm some stupid teenage kid, with no life experience. Whenever dealing with little kids I always make sure to remember myself when I was that age, and realize they're a lot smarter than they look.

[Xessive]

I know what you mean man. I remember when I was 10 I heard my aunts talking about my siblings and me, and I knew and understood what they were talking about.

I think the whole adult perception has to do with the assumption that children don't understand what they haven't been taught.

[Quemaqua]

Children don't understand the deep underlying principles of many things.  It isn't that they don't understand... they grasp far more than we give them credit for.  They just can't reach those things on the same levels or understand farther-reaching implications.  They're very short-sighted people (which many adults are, too).

[Raisa]

I would much rather deal with kids more than adults.  True, the kids are short sighted, but they know what life is and what fun is.  They're more true and honest than most adults.  I always wondered if an adult or scientist can say what kind of level of thinking is considered adult / mature? It's ironic, once you've lived in the world, got polluted by what you see and learn, then you're an " adult" "mature".. :rolleyes:

[Quemaqua]

Kids aren't my bag.  I know how to live and have fun, and the large majority of the adult world pisses me off... people say I have a lot of childlike  qualities, and I don't argue that.  But I don't like the foolishness of children.  I like the innocence and wide-eyed view of the world, but not the childish senses of morality and selfishness.  As much as I dislike many adults, I dislike children far more.

[Cobra951]

It all depends on the child.  You would detest my 6-year-old, but I think you would have liked my older girl at that age.

[Quemaqua]

There are exceptions, sure.  My friend's younger sister was the sweetest person I have ever met in my life.  When she was probably 8 or 9 she gave me a little card asking if I wanted to be her friend.  Somewhere over the years I lost it, and she's in college now.  Watching her grow up was one of the hardest and saddest things of my life. Not because she turned out bad, but just because I wasn't around for so much of it because she wasn't part of *my* family.  I really miss her.  I've never in my life met another child like that.

[Raisa]

Actually, in the world now, it's really hard to find a kid that's really a kid.  Kids who are 10 or 11 do things that would normally be done by 17-18 years old.  It's scary.

I had a kid stay with me recently, she was a brat yes.  But she was a kid through and through.  she had this wonderful imagination and spent one morning fighting with a blanket, and wrestling with it,  very amusing.  She was smart and knew how to work.  Most kids are just lazy.

i don't like seeing kids like that grow up because they're going to be hit with the realization that people aren't all nice.  One kid i know recently had her first heartbreak. She said it was the first time she's met someone who deliberately tried to hurt her feelings.  She didn't know people could do that because they want to have fun or something.