How "good" are you with kids?

[Phoenix84]

The question is pretty self explanatory.  Do you consider yourself good with kids. Any qualifications or clarifications to your assertions would be appreciated, such as what ages, or how you relate to kids.

What about with teenagers?

[Deleted]

I'm pretty good with kids 8+. I'm not bad with 4-8. Im adequate with B-4.

[Deleted]

Babies, dogs, and drunks.  I don't know why but there seems to be some sort of empathy there.

[mmhmm]

I adore little newborns and am fine with them. They're snuggly and warm and ever so cute. Once they start to walk and talk, I'd rather watch somebody else deal with 'em. That changes when they become teenagers. I love teens! They crack me up! They're all knees, and elbows, and hormones and the happenings in their little worlds are oh, so important, don'cha know! I know. I'm weird! 

[Peace Of Mind]

I'm great with kids and teenagers.  And animals.   All my friends can't figure out why I never had kids because I'm so good with them and they really seem to like me too.  I try to explain to them it's because it's easy to be patient with other people's kids because I know they are other people's kids and I'm not stuck with them 24/7.  I get to spoil and have fun with them and listening to them is fun.   But no babies for me, please.  They look too breakable and gross stuff comes out of them.   

[Deleted]

Mar 7, 2015 15:46:08 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I adore little newborns and am fine with them. They're snuggly and warm and ever so cute. Once they start to walk and talk, I'd rather watch somebody else deal with 'em. That changes when they become teenagers. I love teens! They crack me up! They're all knees, and elbows, and hormones and the happenings in their little worlds are oh, so important, don'cha know! I know. I'm weird! 

I love them up until about age 1. I think I'm one of the most awesome baby moms out there.  Preschool to middle school is more like I tolerate (sometimes).  My 4 year old just wears on me with his constant questions...yes...I know that's normal and necessary for learning, but sometimes I just want to scream, "JUST BECAUSE, THAT'S WHY!!!"  Older son is going to be 13 in a few months and we relate a lot better now that he has a large vocabulary and can wipe his own butt. 

[Robert not Bobby]

I have two sons, and I'm a great dad. I don't talk down to them and I listen.

[Peace Of Mind]

Mar 7, 2015 16:10:23 GMT -5 Robert not Bobby said:

I have two sons, and I'm a great dad. I don't talk down to them and I listen.

Bobby!!!  <<jumps on Bobby and gives him big slobbery kisses>>  WTH have you been?  And welcome back! 

[justme]

I've always been good with kids. My lil niece loves me, and I love that I can hand her back to her dad when she needs a diaper change.

I on the other hand have been in a hate to ambivalent mood towards kids for years. My subconscious had thoroughly beaten my baby clock with a hammer. I'll probably like the lot of them again when I'm I'm a situation where I want kids.

[Robert not Bobby]

Aww shucks, "kicking stones"...thanks POM.

[Artemis Windsong]

Not really good with kids.  I can't tell you why.

I see my Grkids a few hours at a time.  Nothing requiring me to be good at anything.

[Deleted]

  I think babies are cute but newborns boring. I love toddlers. So cute and funny at this age. I don't have patience for any of them though as a full time gig.

[dannylion]

I'm very good with dogs. And cats.  I don't think I'm good with kids, but I have devised ways to interact with some of them that seem to work all right.  I have no idea what to do with babies, and toddlers terrify me, so I avoid any children unable to walk or speak or who appear insane or dangerous (see "toddlers terrify me" above). Once they're able to form rational thoughts and speak in sentences, I just listen and make encouraging noises or ask (probably stupid) questions.  It seems to work.  Children don't flee at the sight of me.  About the only kids I'm comfortable around are the nerdy kids.  I really like nerdy kids.  I can talk to them, and they are sometimes interested in what I have to say.  I like to point out the physics behind the things that are going on around us or share some weird little-known facts (I read voraciously and have a freakishly retentive memory) or teach them useful things like how to let the tool do the work (just used that this week when one of the neighbor's kids was helping me clear my sidewalk of snow). Maybe I just mostly encounter kind, well-mannered kids who humor me.  

[Robert not Bobby]

Mar 7, 2015 16:25:36 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

Not really good with kids.  I can't tell you why.

I see my Grkids a few hours at a time.  Nothing requiring me to be good at anything.

Inspire them...do something you love and are good at, and pass it on.

Grandparents are so important...you provide the roots, the kids will have wings.

[Phoenix84]

It's hard to get an honest self assessment of how good I am with kids. I have virtually no experience with kids, except what I remember of being a kid myself. Kids don't seem afraid of me, for whatever that's worth. As my niece grows up, I'll probably get a better idea.

I have a neutral attitude towards kids. Young children crying doesn't bother me normally, unless it's really loud (screaming) or goes on forever. I figure it's just what they do and that's how they communicate.  But they can be amusing to watch, and I'm always amazed at how happy they can be. Must be nice.

I do find newborns pretty boring though. All they do is eat, sleep, and poop.

As far as watching kids, I wouldn't really feel comfortable watching a baby or a toddler.  I could probably manage it if I had to, but I prefer any human charges to be able to form complete sentences and semi rational thoughts.

[alabamagal]

Well the thing about kids is that you can grow with them. When I jag young kids I dreaded the teenage years but you just have to grow up with them.

I remember taking my first to elementary. School and looking at the fifth graders. But ast kid grew into hhAt we just dealt with it.

I was not a "baby" person. I liked older kids. But I had to go through the baby phase to get them

[NoNamePerson]

I'll get back to you on this after I call my son for his honest opinion. Now if you hear this huge thunderous laughter similar to a sonic boom you will have my/his reply     

[Shooby]

Depends on the situation. I get along well with my kids friends. And I think the elem kids like me as their coach. I don't fawn over babies or toddlers that much.

[Deleted]

I'm good at taking care of kids but I'm not good at being friends with them. I'm not the one that all their friends say is the cool mom but I am the one they call when they are sick or scared.

[Deleted]

Well, maybe that's another thread, but I think there needs to be some continuum of 'friendly' in order to relate well with kids. Great they come when sick or scared.... Better to come when they are contemplating things that might leave them sick or scared...

[cronewitch]

I am not good with kids. I haven't diapered a baby in almost 50 years so never used disposables or wipes. I haven't ever used a car seat or booster seat so never could take a child anywhere. I was good with the kids 40 years ago one at a time but this last generation I want the parents present to take care of them even if I was to play with them. I offered to take the 18 year old to the zoo when he was 4 and his mom and grandfather offered to come too and she drove so I didn't have to deal with car seats or anything they brought the baby sister in a stroller and I didn't need to deal with her either except to play with her and watch the two of them while the other adults went into a building to get lunch while we stood outdoors. I would have taken his mother at 4 without parents but we didn't need to deal with car seats and I was much younger.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I'm not great with newborns - or even the ones younger than 2ish. Once they start walking & talking, pooping on their own and able to feed themselves, they're fun to be around. I a also find pleasure in the excitement of 6-7 year-olds when they're just starting school & learning things.

I can't stand to be around one of my nieces' two boys - they're holy terrors and she does nothing to discipline them.

"Most" teens are fun to be around too. Though here are exceptions there too.

The advantage of not having any myself, I can leave when I've had my fill.

[giramomma]

For me it's not age, it's personality that makes me "good" or "not good" with kids. Most of the time, I get along well with kids. Sometimes, personalities just don't work. And that's OK.

But, I also enjoy working with kids at age 4ish and beyond. I like it when they start to open up. I like to watch them blossom. I like to have a good giggle with them.

I think kids are amazing creatures, to be honest.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Now that I have raised kids to teenhood, I think I am fairly good with kids.  I even like them, sometimes even more than the adults they are with.  I am good at conversing with them and listening to them and I like how they think.  As my own kids get ready to launch, I am starting to feel somewhat whistful when I see and interact with younger kids.  

But, for me, it is having the experience under my belt that makes all that possible.  It took a while, but when I finally hit my stride as a mother (I was fairly clueless early on and few other women to call on for guidance), I really began to enjoy children.

[Shooby]

I think if u just treat kids like people then its no biggie.

[Deleted]

Mar 7, 2015 18:04:51 GMT -5 oped said:

Well, maybe that's another thread, but I think there needs to be some continuum of 'friendly' in order to relate well with kids. Great they come when sick or scared.... Better to come when they are contemplating things that might leave them sick or scared...

I'm not making any judgement on any of that, I'm just describing how I am for better or worse.

[Deleted]

I have never felt I was "good with kids", even though I have four of my own lol. When I tell people that, they are astonished. But you have four, and you have a good relationship with them! Of course you're good with kids! Um, no. I'm good with MY kids, and some others I also know well (generally my kids' close friends). 

Frankly I've never understood it when people say "I love kids!" because kids are people too ... how can you love all of them? My sister (whom I adore) is one of these "I love kids" people. She used to stop kids on the street just to engage with them. That always freaked me out LOL. (She is a retired early-childhood teacher. I guess she really does "love kids" lol.) 

After raising 4 kids, I certainly know what to do with kids in terms of caretaking, but of course that's not what you mean. 

As far as age groups go, I love having contact with mid / older teens. I taught middle school for 4 months and it was an unmitigated disaster (it was also my first teaching job in 20 years, I'm sure it would be better now). Now I teach 17/18/19 year olds (as well as grad students but they aren't kids, obviously).

I just LOVE that age group (15-19), because they are getting or have recently gotten their first taste of independence, and for them, everything is possible (although not so much the ones who focus on partying 24/7 just because they can.) 

ETA: This said, even if you're not "good with kids" by nature, there are definitely things you can learn to do to find a common ground. Like Shooby said, kids are people too. Like adults, they have their own habits, likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies etc. 

ETA2: This is an interesting question. Some of us are relatively close to some of our students. Which ones? The ones who regard us as a PERSON, rather than as "one of the teachers", or as just "an adult". Which in fact is exactly same thing, the other way around. 

[Artemis Windsong]

Mar 7, 2015 16:30:48 GMT -5 Robert not Bobby said:

Mar 7, 2015 16:25:36 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

Not really good with kids.  I can't tell you why.

I see my Grkids a few hours at a time.  Nothing requiring me to be good at anything.

Inspire them...do something you love and are good at, and pass it on.

Grandparents are so important...you provide the roots, the kids will have wings.

My Grkids are all grown up.  They did not share my enthusiasm for tennis and golf.  We did eat out a lot and go camping, etc.

[Cookies Galore]

I am not cool with holding your baby. I don't want to hold it, stop handing it to me, I'm only holding it because you shoved it in in my face and I'm not going to be a dick and drop it. Babies aren't cute until at least six months - my own niece and nephew included, nephew took 10 months to get cute, niece took a year.
Once kids start developing a personality I can stand being near them. Hubs' nephews love me because I'm a cat lady and they are trying to convince mom and dad to get them a cat, our love of cats is pretty much what we bonded over. My niece and nephew are just cool as shit because they're part me.

[Deleted]

Mar 7, 2015 21:55:54 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I am not cool with holding your baby. I don't want to hold it, stop handing it to me, I'm only holding it because you shoved it in in my face and I'm not going to be a dick and drop it. Babies aren't cute until at least six months - my own niece and nephew included, nephew took 10 months to get cute, niece took a year.
Once kids start developing a personality I can stand being near them. Hubs' nephews love me because I'm a cat lady and they are trying to convince mom and dad to get them a cat, our love of cats is pretty much what we bonded over. My niece and nephew are just cool as shit because they're part me.

"I am not cool with holding your baby. I don't want to hold it, stop handing it to me, I'm only holding it because you shoved it in in my face and I'm not going to be a dick and drop it"