How do you deal with dumb kids?

[Anonymous]

My husband's good friend's child is very, very sweet but is a complete dumbo. Just turned five and cannot sustain a conversation, cannot always follow simple directions, cannot keep on topic or often stay focused. In other ways this child is talented and clever, but in terms of interacting, sometimes it's like nobody is home. I don't think there's any serious problem; I just think there's a lack in the smarts department. The mom is also a bit of a dumbo.

Yes, I am a bitch, but it drives me a little nuts because it's hard to have a sustained interaction.

[Anonymous]

so don't interact with the kid. If it were my child, I'd rather you not.

[Anonymous]

So don't. You're an adult. And you know it's not nice to call people names. If you don't like interacting with the child, just don't.

[Anonymous]

Leave the kid alone. How cruel.

[Anonymous]

Why are you trying to have sustained conversations with a five year old? You're stupid.

[Anonymous]

I don't deal with them. I abhor stupidity and am too cruel about it to be around the person. I know they can't help it, so I remove myself.

DD is friends with a very sweet girl who has gotten massive amounts of tutoring each year. Last night I saw the texts she's sent DD and I cringed at all the spelling mistakes. Kind girl though, so I let DD continue being friends with her.

Can you just say hi to the kid, and then turn to the other adults? Let the parents entertain their own kid.

[Anonymous]

Who is the dumbo?

[Anonymous]

Do you have kids, OP? It sounds like pretty much most 5 year olds, I know. "Sustain a conversation"? Sure, they can sustain a conversation, if you don't mind following THEIR train of thought: from, the caterpillars in their bug box, to the song they are practicing for JK graduation, to how many more days to the beach, to how "oo" makes the "oo" sound in "cool" and "school," and so on. If you cannot follow this, maybe you are the one having trouble keeping up with the 5-yo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you trying to have sustained conversations with a five year old? You're stupid.

+1

[Anonymous]

Having a sustained conversation is no indication of smarts, it is just practice. This child is practicing on you. If you don't want to participate, you don't have to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't deal with them. I abhor stupidity and am too cruel about it to be around the person. I know they can't help it, so I remove myself.

DD is friends with a very sweet girl who has gotten massive amounts of tutoring each year. Last night I saw the texts she's sent DD and I cringed at all the spelling mistakes. Kind girl though, so I let DD continue being friends with her.

Can you just say hi to the kid, and then turn to the other adults? Let the parents entertain their own kid.

Omg. You can't be around people who aren't smart?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband's good friend's child is very, very sweet but is a complete dumbo. Just turned five and cannot sustain a conversation, cannot always follow simple directions, cannot keep on topic or often stay focused. In other ways this child is talented and clever, but in terms of interacting, sometimes it's like nobody is home. I don't think there's any serious problem; I just think there's a lack in the smarts department. The mom is also a bit of a dumbo.

Yes, I am a bitch, but it drives me a little nuts because it's hard to have a sustained interaction.

Um, this was my child and still to some degree is 5 years later. She has social anxiety and has trouble be quick thinking on her feet. She also had auditory processing issues which meant when people spoke to her it took her longer to understand and then formulate the answer.

Yes, I saw lots of parents and still do give my kid a side ways glance when she says something dumb. I cringe too. Sometimes, she says the exact opposite of what she means.

We did therapy and have done tons of work at home as well as medication. She is who she is. She isn't dumb but I acknowledged that to casual observers and random people she might appear that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having a sustained conversation is no indication of smarts, it is just practice. This child is practicing on you. If you don't want to participate, you don't have to.

This.

[Anonymous]

Prepare to be shocked when this kid gets into a better college than your own child(ren.)

Remember that you heard it hear first.

[Anonymous]

^^ That's heard it here, on DCUM, first!