Have you ever wondered why “common sense” is called “common sense”? There is actually not one thing “common” about “common sense. Recently, I was instructing one of my children on the fine art of cutting a piece of meat with a knife. And it dawned on me. One would think that someone could take a steak knife and see how it is designed and then use it successfully. But as I proceeded to instruct my child on the skills of using this fine culinary tool, I realized this is something we will have to revisit over a period of weeks, months and perhaps a few more years. Therefore, I’ve come up with a list of things that we think are common sense but in actuality things that need to be taught with much patience and perseverance.
- Washing your hands before a meal.
- Not running out in the middle of a busy street.
- How to hold a fork at the dinner table.
- Turning your head to one side while holding a taco upright when eating it, so that the meat doesn’t spill onto their lap
- Leaning forward slightly when spooning up a spoonful of soup to their mouth, so that the soup spills into their bowl and not onto their lap.
- Not starting monopoly 5 minutes before it’s time to leave for an outing.
- Not putting on snow gloves before zipping up the snow jacket.
- Not putting on snow gloves before slipping on snow boots.
- Going to the bathroom when your bladder feels full.
- Blowing your nose onto a tissue paper when “stuff” is starting to seep out of your nose.
- How to load the dishwasher.
- Helping your 18 month sister sit up when she is submerged under water in the bath tub.
- Turning the dead bolt lock in the opposite direction of the door jamb before attempting to open it.
- Not running on concrete that is sheeted with ice.
- Not placing an object into an outlet.
- Pulling up your sleeves before reaching across the table.
My conclusion is that common sense is not so common. It actually has to be taught. These are few that come to mind feel free to add to the list as you come up with them.
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