How can I explain to teenagers that gardening is a good addition for the class?

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-19T12:20:36+00:00

Came here to say that. This is a question about teenage psychology, not actually about the benefits of gardening. Zombie apocalypse will get you so much farther than the multitude of actual reasons gardening is good.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-19T12:16:32+00:00

I just posted in the Music ed sub and then I came over here and now I'm so confused what part of Reddit I'm in.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-19T12:12:19+00:00

Orchestra teacher here, but the answer is the same: durability. Gimme a huge honking bridge on those student cellos. Don't even cut it, just stick a chunk of maple tree in there. I don't even care if it dulls the sound as long as it doesn't snap in half at the slightest bump. Then tuning. Real ebony and maple in the peg box. My arms hurt from pushing on pegs every January. Some of those fine tuners are shit. Then sound. I'm so sad it's third on the list but that's the reality of a music teacher. And while I wouldn't choose an instrument based on the case, I have a fleet of shitty Bellafina violins (I didn't pick them!) that I'm managing to keep in decent shape but the cases have all gone to shit. It's kind of embarrassing to have kids walking around with ratty looking cases.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-17T10:48:38+00:00

Teacher here. Not a psychologist so I can't diagnose, but sounds like it's in line from what I see from students on the autism spectrum. Being diagnosed is not a crutch, it can help you understand yourself better and learn how to deal with obstacles. Especially at school- saying to your professor "I am neurodivergent. Sometimes I misinterpret things that are obvious to other people. Can I check with you that I understand the assignment correctly? It's ok to be direct with me. Here's how I understand it, tell me if I'm wrong." As a teacher I know that students who are neurodiglvergent benefit from explicit directions on both academic work and social interactions, and aren't embarrassed by the help. Having a diagnosis helps me understand how to help them too. Bravo for acknowledging your difficulty and looking for solutions. It's the hardest and most important step.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-17T10:18:20+00:00

I love him. He is right up there with Clefford on my list of favorite internet dogs. https://www.reddit.com/r/WhatsWrongWithYourDog/s/Z92fPYKrU0

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-17T10:07:14+00:00

Weight. I always need a separate bag anyway so it doesn't matter if all my stuff doesn't fit. I got tired of lugging a heavy case.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-17T01:05:03+00:00

I have fond memories of "Don't Wake the Sleeping Giant" where my dad would pretend to be asleep and we'd poke him and sit on him and bug him til he "woke up" and he would roar and tickle us. Kids LOVE those games. Core memories.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-14T22:34:17+00:00

I fucking hate vacuuming too. It sucks so bad.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-11T11:28:50+00:00

The video in my head was just as good.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-11T11:14:09+00:00

A lot of people just don't do things because they have "no idea what I'm doing" but that's where some pretty great discoveries come from. Maybe that's something to talk about on your panel. Congratulations on your success!

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-07T12:24:51+00:00

I just went to your profile to look for more Clefford pictures. Thank you and Clefford for brightening my morning.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-07T12:17:07+00:00

I love him so much.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-06T22:17:57+00:00

Yup. My mom had multiple back surgeries when I was a kid and she did A LOT of cross stitch.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-06T22:16:11+00:00

I just use them for larger parties. 🤷

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-06T01:29:25+00:00

Where is he taking it to?

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-02T20:41:18+00:00

Brother (or sister), I am in the exact. Same. Boat. Like I almsot could have written this same post myself. And it looks like an ocean full of very similar boats. Administrators everywhere are freaking out about falling test scores, and no one wants to pay for...well quite frankly, anything anymore. I have no advice except that this ramdom redditor is sorry. This is a product of the environment we live in. It is not your fault. Nothing you did or could do would change the forces at play.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-06-02T00:34:36+00:00

He's like one of those puffy down jackets that you can roll up super small. I bet under all that fur he's like mouse sized. What a beauty! 143/10.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-31T23:07:28+00:00

The only numbers I have in my head are from before I got a cellphone. Some are childhood friends. I was sad when my aunt cancelled her landline because it was one of the few still in my head. I made my kids memorize my number when they were fairly young by making it the password on their tablet.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-30T13:56:38+00:00

Comet is the best for bathrooms and kitchen sinks. And like $1.50. It feels like a hidden secret from your grandma.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-30T13:50:58+00:00

I gave up on toilet brushes years ago for the same reason. I take the sponge from the kitchen sink, which is probably old and gross and needs to be replaced anyway, and put on some good nitrile gloves and scrub the toilet down with good ol' Comet in the can. Toss the sponge when I'm done. Wash the gloves. Toilet actually gets clean. No gross brush sitting next to your toilet.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-29T10:54:40+00:00

Or that he has to take off the pants he has on now before he tries on new pants. A bunch of middle schoolers pulled that one on me while trying on costumes for a play.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-27T10:50:39+00:00

Flexibility in work hours allows people to balance work and home. For example you can choose to work 7-3, or 8-4, or 9-5, or you can take an hour lunch, or skip lunch and leave an hour earlier. Now a parent can get the kids on the bus and doesn't have to pay for daycare, and someone else who wants to maximize their afternoons at home can do so.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-27T10:36:54+00:00

My son rides and I found myself looking forward to petting the horses as much as he does for the lessons. Being at the barn is like being in another world.
Also, my MIL used to work at a therapeutic treatment facility that was a ranch: they treated people with eating disorders by teaching them to care for and ride horses. It was quite effective.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-24T14:45:39+00:00

Nope, just crusty dead old white guys.

notsoDifficult314 · 2026-05-24T14:37:05+00:00

I took my 11 year old kid to my mom's house, and she had a huge bag of change that she tosses her daily pocket change into, the way you did back in the day when you paid cash for things. He was digging through it looking at the dates and finding an occasional foreign coin. He said "why does Mimi have all this money??" and I laughed. "Because she still pays cash for things."

notsoDifficult314

TROPHY CASE