"Age Respectful vs. Age Appropriate"

Post Reply New Topic

Finally...because who says that certain things must only be for certain age groups (right up through adulthood)?

http://teachinglearnerswithmultipleneed ... riate.html

I didn't follow the link, but I take it it's about ending upper age limits on media and products? If so, then I whole-heartedly agree with the idea. Why would any company want to insult and drive away potential customers by telling them they're too old for something? No one wants or needs that kind of "advice".

Upper age limits on games/toys are the reason why I turned to alcohol during my pre-teens. When I was 10, my family moved across the country. Nearly all of my childhood toys and most of my childhood books were left behind, and were not replaced. (We flew, and even long before 9/11, there were baggage limits; and we had a lot of things to move.) I kept begging my parents to buy me replacement toys at the new home, but they didn't relent. According to their logic, I was a "big boy" and didn't need toys anymore. I still had all the childhood limits, like bedtimes, lack of meal choices, and having to bring home good grades. Plus, the labels "Age 5 to X" (where X is the age below mine) on the boxes stared them right in the face, plus I was very book-smart, effectively clinching their argument. Being poor, I'm sure they couldn't afford those toys to begin with, although they'd buy me trinkets like rubber snakes, which I still have at my apartment.

Looking back, I realize I was in that insidious "sandwich age": too old for childhood toys, too young for simple pleasures of adolescence. I guess my parents realized that I was plunging headfirst into depression, so they got me therapy (paid by the state, no less). The therapist's ridiculous method of rehashing my feelings started a whole new interest: alcohol. I'd sneak sips from the liquor cabinet, and replace them with water. Usually after therapy sessions or a bad day at school. I knew how much water I could safely pour in without causing the liquids to separate or get cloudy.

Things improved as I got older. As an 8th grade graduation present, my parents granted me permission to travel by public buses around my city. I was good with directions since birth, so my parents trusted me not to get lost. I started going to museum after museum, where I could previously go only as a reward for good grades and good behavior. By early high school, by interests shifted to the internet, video games, and of course, museums, all which my parents approved. They were able to get back on their feet by then, so they even gave me money for those on occasion.

i don't believe in age labels on stuff.
my friends 3 yr old knows how to work an iphone. i didn't get one till i was over 30.
when tech advances and creates cooler kiddy toys...i wanna play them too!

right now, i'm 35...i love/play/watch/collect Pokemon/Yugioh and i still play video games, watch toons, collect stuffed animals. wear pop culture shirts. but now that i'm considered an adult...i collect shot glasses (but i don't drink except on maybe new years eve and going to church mostly, very rarely outside of that). i hardly do adult things--like shopping for clothes or whatever a normal 35yr old woman is supposed to do.

these days you have 6 yr olds playing Call of Duty or Halo and over 30 yr olds playing pokemon. so labels are pretty much useless.

I hate the age guidelines on toys so much. My son has splinter skills and his preferences/abilities skew both higher and lower than the ranges listed. He is also very literal so I have to cross-out the ranges with marker and re-write it to include his age.

The 3+ designation is generally for safety issues, and of course I have no issues with designating safety issues regarding choking risk and that sort of thing, but otherwise these guides are worthless. It also creates issues when people buy my son gifts. Even though they ask what he likes, what my son likes does not meet with their approval, and they shop based on what the boxes say boys his age should like.

Interesting concept. I can relate a bit to that, except, in my case, the “sandwich” just kept widening as I got older and never had those “simple pleasures of adolescence”, even though my parents had at some time during my childhood told me I would. They were never in any kind of economic hardship, but, the older I got, the less I dared to ask them for. Eventually, it became clear there was no way I was going to have any kind of meaningful life experience till I became financially independent from them, and I proved to be really bad at that.

In my case, the "simple pleasures of adolescence" referred to drinking alcohol (illegal, I know, but hey), being able to travel around town by myself, and having a job to earn my own money. Also dating girls, but I quickly learned how unattainable that was once I hit puberty.

Kids, don't try this at home!
By high school, I found a quasi-legal way to get alcohol on my own. I'd occasionally miss the school bus on purpose and walk home. On the way, I'd stop at a supermarket and buy cooking wine. The bottle said "culinary use only; not for direct consumption", so it didn't count as alcohol and the store always sold it to me. To hide my intentions, I'd throw in an item or two of Italian food; cheap stuff like pasta or tomato sauce. Then after checking out, I'd chuck everything but the wine into a food donation box, then hide the bottle in my room, and use it as a liquid stress-reliever.

Your adolescence doesn't sound all bad, Aspie1. I would have killed (not literally) to be able to take myself to a museum whenever I wanted!