How many ways are children annoying?
Back in 1931, Dr. Mandel Sherman, director of the Child Research Centre, wanted to find out the exact number of ways in which children annoy their parents. He came up with the oddly specific number of 2,124 different ways.
He arrived at this number by having a group of parents carry notebooks around with them for a week and record each time their child annoyed them.
Some of the ways in which the children annoyed: being disobedient, being too slow or too quick, not being neat, primping, etc.
Personally, I think he seriously lowballed that number.
We've encountered the work of Dr. Sherman before. Back in 2009, I posted about his advice that instead of training kids to be successful in life, we should train them to accept the inevitability of failure. That way, they'll be much happier when they actually do end up as mediocre flops.
He arrived at this number by having a group of parents carry notebooks around with them for a week and record each time their child annoyed them.
Some of the ways in which the children annoyed: being disobedient, being too slow or too quick, not being neat, primping, etc.
Personally, I think he seriously lowballed that number.
We've encountered the work of Dr. Sherman before. Back in 2009, I posted about his advice that instead of training kids to be successful in life, we should train them to accept the inevitability of failure. That way, they'll be much happier when they actually do end up as mediocre flops.
The New York Times - Jan 30, 1931
Comments
2,125: Existing. And not just their parents.
Posted by A Nonny Mouse on 03/20/17 at 08:40 AM
Give scorecards to those going to movies where the playground is inside the theater. That should raise the total.
Posted by Virtual on 03/20/17 at 11:49 AM
"Do you like children?"
"I do if they're properly cooked."
- W.C. Fields, "Tillie and Gus"
"I do if they're properly cooked."
- W.C. Fields, "Tillie and Gus"
Posted by KDP on 03/20/17 at 03:20 PM
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Category: Psychology | Children | Parents | 1930s