(no subject)

[darchildre]

Dear library patrons,

If your child cannot answer basic questions about their name, address, or birthdate, maybe wait until you can accompany them, rather than sending them up to register for a library card on their own.

If your child cannot answer basic questions about their name, address, or birthdate and is NINE YEARS OLD, you maybe need to have a conversation with them.

Good gods.

This post brought to you by the nine-year-old boy who had to keep walking back and forth about the library to find out a) if he had a middle name, b) what that middle name was, and c) when his birthday is.

Comments

[silveradept]

It appears to be generational. I recall needing to have all of those things memorized for the beginning of schooling, but several older children of these days do not have that information to hand, perhaps because a significant amount of correspondence these days is digital, and until you start receiving bills or other such in the mail, it's not as relevant.

[darchildre]

YUP. The sheer number of teenagers who are unable to tell me where they live astounds and horrifies me. I can understand being hesitant about phone numbers - so few people have a central household number anymore and it can be hard to figure out which one to put on your library card - but by god, you should know your address. And your name and birthdate.

[frenchroast]

Yeah, phone numbers I get, but your full name and address?? And your own birthday?? How do people not know that? I mean, the address thing is important if you ever need to call 911 or order a pizza.