What is the age of accountability?

Submitted by GoneBlue83 on

My 4 year son snagged my phone today and started asking questions about the "M" app.  

I showed him the most recent hype video of "THE GAME" and he was instantly hooked.  Not only did he want that app but he wanted to know more about which team we want to win (I think he liked the fighting part).  And so it begins!  Trying not to go over his head and keeping it PG, I clearly drew the line between good and evil..

To those parents out there, when do you expect your child to begin to understand the rivalry?

 

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cGOBLUEm

November 27th, 2015 at 10:52 PM ^

I don't have an answer for this. All I know is that my kids (3 year-old twins) are in the "molding" process. They like to watch Michgan with me. The love yelliing "Go Blue" or "Touchdown Michigan" or one of my favorites "We don't like Michgan State and we don't like green". 

I believe it will be at least another 2-3 years before they begin to have any sort of appreciation for the rivalry with those mouthbreathers down south. 

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543Church

November 27th, 2015 at 10:54 PM ^

Depends on the kid.   Some kids like sports others don't.  Let them figure it out and if you see an interest then encourage it.   I've seen 5 years olds go nuts for UM football whereas my 10 year old son is just starting to understand it.

 

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APBlue

November 27th, 2015 at 11:01 PM ^

My oldest child was about 5 when we were on a freeway in SE Michigan. She started booing. I said - why are you booing? She said - that car has Ohio license plates. I'm not sure what age I started teaching, but she was drinking the cool aid by 5.

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bostonsix

November 27th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^

Up their first crayon. You tell them red is the worst color. Then proceed to how magnificent the Blue and Maize crayons are. This has worked for my two year old so far.

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GoneBlue83

November 28th, 2015 at 12:09 AM ^

My wife has nephew's that are sporting green and it is strickly becuase they have been winning lately.  Those kids are the same kids that will be bleeding blue if they start winning.  When your parents haven't gone to either school it is up to the parents.  So many people have gone to CMU. WSU, OU, Wayne State, Grand Valley, etc.... you still pick a school either UM or michigan sate. those young impressional minds are all about the NOw.. aka the sway.  Directional school parents-take control fo your kids.

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Mr. Elbel

November 27th, 2015 at 10:57 PM ^

my girlfriend's kids are learning. I didn't have the luxury of teaching them from birth. but they're learning slowly. they are UVA fans right now and I'm ok with that, as long as they don't know about msu or osu. I'm nervous to even bring it up bc I'm afraid they don't trust me enough for it to not backfire on me at this point.

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bryemye

November 27th, 2015 at 10:58 PM ^

But probably around the age they can really start playing sports? So I guess for me at least it was around first grade? Just hard for a kid to have an attention span for a whole game without understanding all the rules, etc. Sports also make more sense once you have played them. 

Just my opinion as someone who had MIchigan booties as a baby. I wouldn't say I truly grasped it until an ohio state fan screamed GO BUCKS in my face as an 8 year old while walking through the law quad with my dad. First Michigan game. Then Biakabatuka dropped 313 yards on 'em and seriously fuck those guys. 

GO BLUE!

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MichiganTeacher

November 27th, 2015 at 11:06 PM ^

My daughter's five. She's starting to get it.

But the first thing that popped into my head to answer the thread title question was, "Not this one."

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Bando Calrissian

November 27th, 2015 at 11:07 PM ^

My earliest memories of Michigan sports comes from the 1989 basketball championship run when I was all of 3 years old. We went to a Steve Fisher autograph signing at the Jos. A. Bank at the mall the month after the championship game. I was already hooked. 

If you raise 'em right, it's bound to happen.

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DetroitBlue

November 27th, 2015 at 11:13 PM ^

I have a 2 and 1/2 year old and a 1 and 1/2 year old. They both know to 'hail' and 'go blue'. The 2 year old had recently added 'touchdown Michigan' to his repertoire. He also is in the habit of yelling 'timeout' after random plays, as time management is something I tend to harp on during games



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UMForLife

November 27th, 2015 at 11:10 PM ^

Well, my wife is a sparty. I take my son to games, but I know it is hard for him to root against MSU. He at least knows to say the right thing in front of me. If it is a Michigan family through and through, it might be easier to feed them right from when they are young. So, get to them young.

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jonesie022

November 27th, 2015 at 11:10 PM ^

My daughter is 3 1/2 and knows that "daddy's team" always wears blue. She loves the Victors and let's go blue but MOST importantly she knows we NEVER cheer for a team that wears red.



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GoneBlue83

November 27th, 2015 at 11:23 PM ^

I have friends that grew up in Michigan and went to school here, but now live out of state (some of which are in ohio).  How about you folks that have to deal with a whole different force?

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The Mad Hatter

November 27th, 2015 at 11:29 PM ^

A few weeks ago my wife and daughter went to visit my sister in law in Cleveland. My boy was legitimately terrified for their safety, as he already knows that Ohio is the devil. It took a lot of convincing to calm his fears. He kept asking why are you going to Ohio? Why would aunt crissy live there? Is she evil too? He already knows the words to HTTV too.

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A_Maizing24

November 27th, 2015 at 11:32 PM ^

2 year old knows it as Papa's Go Blue! She asked Go Blur for Christmas!! Every time I asked her "what do we say"- she replies with a loud "GO BLUE"!

Teach them as young as possible!!!

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harmon40

November 27th, 2015 at 11:41 PM ^

for overdoing the "Ohio is evil" bit with our daughter when she was small. My wife is from South America and does not understand the cosmic significance of this rivalry at all.

Anyway, one day she was watching a Christmas video with my daughter. My wife was stunned when our daughter pointed at King Herod and said "He must be from Ohio - he's EVIL!!"

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elhead

November 27th, 2015 at 11:43 PM ^

My partner's daughter is 6 and she's rockin a blue M baseball cap tomorrow when we go watch The Game. She's starting to get football. At the end of the State game she looked up at me and said "I don't think that play went very well, huh?" My partner's ex is not much of a football fan but hear tell that they are now watching games together (even the Lions game yesterday - Detroit impressed her to no end, don't know how to explain to her my psychotic disinterest in that team.) in any event, she's a big hit with Alumni Assn here.



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Rage86

November 28th, 2015 at 12:19 AM ^

My daughter turns 6 month old today and while my wife was pregnant with her every night I read John U Bacon's book to her stomach....I read recruiting chatter as well...we have not missed a BTN live or a Michigan game yet this season...she sits on my lap and I do the Hail to the Victors after each touchdown...my brother is a OSU fan (he isn't smart) this evening he wanted to lay down a UofM hat and an OSU hat and see what she chose...she actually leaned over on the OSU hat and puked all over it....I think I'm raising her right lol

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