Useless Childhood Lessons: 21 We Could Do Without
We all learned things as kids that seemed crucial at the time but turned out to be about as useful as a chocolate teapot in adult life. Here’s a list of those supposedly “vital” lessons that have rarely, if ever, come in handy.
1. Stop, Drop, And Roll
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-olia-danilevich-5088182.jpg)
Sure, it’s essential for those times you’re spontaneously combusting, but how often have you actually had to stop, drop, and roll? For most of us, this is just a dramatic move reserved for safety videos.
2. The Pythagorean Theorem
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-karolina-grabowska-7692464.jpg)
Unless your job title includes the word “mathematician” or “architect,” the chances you’ve needed to calculate the hypotenuse of a right triangle since graduation are pretty slim.
3. Cursive Writing
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-shvets-production-9052143.jpg)
They said it would be necessary for all serious adulting. Yet, here we are, typing away on keyboards and screens, with signatures that resemble a doctor’s note more than anything.
4. The Food Pyramid
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-yaroslav-shuraev-8844387.jpg)
Remember trying to memorize all those servings of grains, dairy, and meats? Then nutritionists went and changed the whole system on us. Thanks for the mixed messages, dietary guidelines.
5. Making A Volcano With Baking Soda And Vinegar
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-ron-lach-10187665.jpg)
Fun at the science fair, sure, but not exactly a required skill in most jobs or in life—unless you’re hosting a kids’ party, perhaps.
6. Diagramming Sentences
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_2036382416.jpg)
Unless you’re plotting to overthrow the kingdom of Grammarly, the real world rarely asks us to break down a sentence into its components on a diagram.
7. Naming The Capitals Of Every State
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_2066308541.jpg)
Memorizing that Montpelier is the capital of Vermont feels like a party trick rather than a life skill unless you’re a contestant on a geography-based game show.
8. Identifying Rocks
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-anastasia-shuraeva-7671083.jpg)
Being able to distinguish sedimentary from metamorphic rocks is great for Jeopardy! or if you’re a geologist. For the rest of us? Not so much.
9. Playing The Recorder
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-shkrabaanthony-7970143.jpg)
Did anyone else’s school insist on teaching every student to play the recorder? Has anyone touched one since fourth grade?
10. The Color Of George Washington’s White Horse
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-mnannapaneni-6142843.jpg)
Classic trick question, classic useless information. It’s as helpful as knowing the number of grooves on a vinyl record.
11. Memorizing Pi To Several Decimal Places
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-rdne-8798885.jpg)
Knowing π past 3.14 is impressive in very, very specific circles. For the average Joe? Just another number.
12. The Lifecycle Of A Frog
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-jody-mccleary-333888763-16137455.jpg)
Unless you’re working in herpetology, the stages from tadpole to frog are unlikely to crop up in your daily grind.
13. Distinguishing Cloud Types
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-souvenirpixels-5559303.jpg)
Cumulus, stratus, cirrus… cool to know? Yes. Necessary for daily decision-making? Only if your career depends on the weather.
14. Creating Bibliographies By Hand
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-kevinmenajang-982657.jpg)
With citation tools integrated into every digital word processor, the painstaking process of writing each element of a source by hand is thankfully obsolete.
15. Using A Card Catalog
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-cottonbro-6333856.jpg)
If you can find a library still using a physical card catalog instead of a digital database, you’ve probably traveled back in time.
16. How To Use A Slide Rule
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_262941599.jpg)
This one’s for the baby boomers. Today, if you’re using a slide rule, it’s probably just for nostalgia.
17. I Before E Except After C
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1999799396.jpg)
So many exceptions, so little time. English language, why must you confuse us so?
18. Dodgeball
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-jessperges-1739321.jpg)
If you’ve managed to use your dodgeball skills in real life, you’re either incredibly unlucky or living a far more exciting life than the rest of us.
19. Morse Code
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_730845235.jpg)
… — … Great for historical novels and movies, less so for texting your friends.
So, What Was The Point?
![](https://mamasaywhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/shutterstock_555045271-1.jpg)
While many of these lessons seem pointless in retrospect, they helped shape our problem-solving skills and maybe made us a bit more interesting at parties. But let’s be real, most days, they’re just amusing relics of our educational past.
Toxic Talk: 21 Phrases to Never Say to Your Kids
![](https://peachyfours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_561661153-1.jpg)
Are you worried about the impact of your words on your child’s well-being? Let’s tackle 21 phrases that might be causing more harm than you realize. Toxic Talk: 21 Phrases to Never Say to Your Kids
Breaking Ties: Recognizing When It’s Time to Go No-Contact with Parents
![](https://peachyfours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_744084832.jpg)
Deciding to go no-contact with a parent is a profound, often painful choice, but sometimes it’s necessary for personal well-being. Are you grappling with the decision to distance yourself from a toxic parental relationship? Breaking Ties: Recognizing When It’s Time to Go No-Contact with Parents
Stop the Stereotypes: 20 Gender-Based Comments Kids Don’t Need
![](https://peachyfours.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1769669453-1.jpg)
It’s time to challenge traditional narratives that limit kids’ potential. Here are gender-specific phrases and ideas to avoid, fostering a supportive and open-minded environment for the next generation. Stop the Stereotypes: 20 Gender-Based Comments Kids Don’t Need
The post Useless Childhood Lessons: 21 We Could Do Without first appeared on Peachy Fours.
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For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.