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Okay, so after nine months of working with cub scouts, I've come to the conclusion that annoying behaviour in men is a genetic trait. Scientists are always babbling about how men and women's brains are different and I'm here to tell you that it's true.
Case in point...
When I worked with girl guides and we had to do a craft, I could say to my girls, do this, do that, put this here, paint that blue, tie that over there and they'd sit and babble and giggle amongst themselves but lo! at the end of the hour and a half, they'd have folded, spindled or mutilated whatever it was they were supposed to.
Not so with the boys.
Me: Okay, today we're going to build a kite. First, you take these two pieces of wood and glue...
Boy 1: What are we doing?
Me: Building a kite. Okay, so take your two pieces of wood and...
Boy 2: Hey! Where's my wood!
Me: Right there in front of you. Okay, so taking your two pieces of...
Boy 3: When are we going to fly our kites?
Me: Well, if we get finished in time, you can try them out before you go home! Now, take your two pieces...
Boy 4: This is boring.
Me: Is it? Well, if we could get started it might not be so bad. So, everyone has to pay attention so I can show you what to do. Now, take your two pieces of wood and glue them together like this. *demonstrates*
Boy 1: Like this? *does it wrong*
Me: No. Like this. *wipes off glue and then demonstrates the positioning of the sticks again*
Boy 2: Can I cut out the paper for my kite?
Me: Well, you should probably put your kite together first. Otherwise you won't know what shape to cut your paper.
Boy 3: Where does the glue go?
Me: Here and here *demonstrates a third time*
Boy 4: This is boring.
Me: Well, maybe if you tried it, you wouldn't be bored.
Boy 4: *grudgingly starts*
The rest of the kite making steps continue in the same vein. It doesn't matter if I tell them the instructions, have them read the instructions, show them the instructions by doing each step before they do, semaphore or pantomime the instructions, it's always the same. They never actually listen to them. In fact, they do their best to make it so that no instructions ever pass my lips. It's like they have this mental block about following instructions.
I always have to plan for whatever we're supposed to make to carry over to the next week because we always run out of time. It's rather amusing.
Case in point...
When I worked with girl guides and we had to do a craft, I could say to my girls, do this, do that, put this here, paint that blue, tie that over there and they'd sit and babble and giggle amongst themselves but lo! at the end of the hour and a half, they'd have folded, spindled or mutilated whatever it was they were supposed to.
Not so with the boys.
Me: Okay, today we're going to build a kite. First, you take these two pieces of wood and glue...
Boy 1: What are we doing?
Me: Building a kite. Okay, so take your two pieces of wood and...
Boy 2: Hey! Where's my wood!
Me: Right there in front of you. Okay, so taking your two pieces of...
Boy 3: When are we going to fly our kites?
Me: Well, if we get finished in time, you can try them out before you go home! Now, take your two pieces...
Boy 4: This is boring.
Me: Is it? Well, if we could get started it might not be so bad. So, everyone has to pay attention so I can show you what to do. Now, take your two pieces of wood and glue them together like this. *demonstrates*
Boy 1: Like this? *does it wrong*
Me: No. Like this. *wipes off glue and then demonstrates the positioning of the sticks again*
Boy 2: Can I cut out the paper for my kite?
Me: Well, you should probably put your kite together first. Otherwise you won't know what shape to cut your paper.
Boy 3: Where does the glue go?
Me: Here and here *demonstrates a third time*
Boy 4: This is boring.
Me: Well, maybe if you tried it, you wouldn't be bored.
Boy 4: *grudgingly starts*
The rest of the kite making steps continue in the same vein. It doesn't matter if I tell them the instructions, have them read the instructions, show them the instructions by doing each step before they do, semaphore or pantomime the instructions, it's always the same. They never actually listen to them. In fact, they do their best to make it so that no instructions ever pass my lips. It's like they have this mental block about following instructions.
I always have to plan for whatever we're supposed to make to carry over to the next week because we always run out of time. It's rather amusing.
