Teaching an old dog NEW TRICKS!!! :-))))))
@Masihi (4413)
Canada
January 10, 2011 8:01pm CST
I have to say I am quite excited. You know the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Well, I finally got to disprove that in my husband.
In an earlier discussion I mentioned that I was able to get Hubby to do Sidetick with me. Now I have him posting on Facebook, very limited, but he's slowly learning. It is still a big challenge for him, but he's more open-minded towards computers now than he was before. I think it'll help him cope with his learning disablity as well because before he'd be so afraid to do something, or feel like he can't do a certain thing and only stick to what he knows.
But in this past month I've noticed a huge change in him. I even got him starting to learn how to use an email account! He doesn't know very much, but I set him up a hotmail account a year or so ago, and he would NEVER touch it. Silly thing is, he still doesn't know his email address :-s Oh well, that'll come soon enough.
Even though I'm excited, I also feel frustrated as I don't really know how to teach someone :-s. I just hope I can get him to completely control his email account as well as his Facebook and Sidetick account by the end of this year.
2 people like this
6 responses
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
11 Jan 11
Every time he learns one new thing he will be that much more confident and capable. When I met my husband he did not do anything with computers. He is a very smart man, but had not much exposure and he is older than I am. He is not as interested in it as I am, but he is getting there. Actually people who are learning disabled are often very intelligent, they just learn differently. Because they process things differently they often get treated like they are unintelligent, when sometimes they have to be twice as good at stuff just to get half as far.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
11 Jan 11
I saw the update the other day that he was here, and I thought that was so
cute. 
So I told him any friend of GG is a friend of mine. 
So I told him any friend of GG is a friend of mine. 1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
11 Jan 11
I have worked as a para educator off and on in the schools, so I am mostly telling you what I was told in the training in school. The label of Learning disability does point out that he does learn. I will look around and see if I can find anything that you would like to read and recommend them. If you have a good library you should be able to find things to read. Are your kids in special needs classes? The teachers in their classrooms should be able to help you out as well.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
11 Jan 11
You have proven the theory that as we get older we certainly get wiser. I can see the frustration if you are tending to your emails and accounts and to a certain extent tending to his, so it has to be doubly hard.
But keep up the good work as if you got him this far, who knows he may be able to tend to yours as well some day. Now that would be a nice plan.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
11 Jan 11
I hope you both grow old together. Technology can be very empowering.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
11 Jan 11
If I live for 250 years I will need a professional bookkeeping personal assistant, so hang on to him, he may be eligible for the job.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
11 Jan 11
tee hee :-)
I'm working on our marriage for sure! Miracles do happen!!
@slothgurl (569)
• Enumclaw, Washington
11 Jan 11
That's great that you want to take the time to teach him how to use the internet. I have tried to get my husband interested, but he just says "that's your gig", and walks away. He just doesn't want anything to do with it. So the first thing I asked him is- What if something happened to me? He wouldn't even know how to turn on the computer. Or pay the bills. Or do anything else that I do online. He said he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it. So I just made a list of passwords and sites, whatever he would need and put it in a safe place for him. I will try again soon, but I'm thinking I will have better luck with my son!
1 person likes this
@slothgurl (569)
• Enumclaw, Washington
11 Jan 11
I love Sidetick! I'm already friends with you on there, and I added him as a friend last night.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
12 Jan 11
Thanks, I'll make sure he "catches" your request once he gets on the computer tomorrow.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
11 Jan 11
Ya, when I first got a computer in 2005, my husband didn't like them at all. First he wanted to play computer games. Then he started watching youtube and looking at cars/motorcycles/trucks. Now he's doing Sidetick - but mind you, he never touched the computer for a good 2 years after I purchased my 1st desktop. It's a progression.
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
11 Jan 11
I do believe that you can teach an old dog new tricks. We should never say never to that. It may take a while to achieve this. you jusy have to know how to go about it.1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
12 Jan 11
Yes, that's true, I guess, thing is, I *SUCK* at teaching LOL! :-p
@Bookmite (51)
• United States
12 Jan 11
Yay for you, Masihi, and for your husband too! There was a time when I was afraid (yes, afraid) to turn on the computer, if my husband wasn't home -- and now, I'm on it way more than he is. My kids are also moving me to the point of being more technologically advanced. My daughter and son-in-law showed me how to use a digital (as opposed to a film camera) and I am now a digital camera nut, taking pictures to post on facebook and various photo sites, creating slideshows and photo dvd's. My digital camera, along with the photos I take are my prized possessions. My other daughter and son-in-law bought me a cell phone (another thing I was 'afraid' of) and now I can't live without it! So keep helping your hubby along -- baby steps at a time! Your efforts will continue to be rewarded. What would the rest of us do without people like you to teach and encourage us!
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
12 Jan 11
heheh, I hated computers growing up in school (I grew up in the 1980's and remember those big brown boxes!) Now I can't live without my laptop and BlackBerry :-p I do like the Old FAshioned touch, though, so I put the classic ring on my BlackBerry (the mechanical rings our telephones made back in the '70's and '80's)
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
11 Jan 11
Thanks, it's a huge challenge for him to read and write, for sure, so he has trouble with spelling, but I think this computer thing will definitelly help him with his learning diablity. Even confidence on an intellectual level. They say that you'll learn quicker at things you're interested in.
