This Friday, autistic little Ben (of the Phil Collins Gorilla-drums ad) turns 13. Somehow in the Maths lesson we got to discussing how next year his birthday will be on Sunday. "No, Saturday," says Ben. So I explain about Leap Years. Ben starts desperately trying to explain what's "right", frantic that I should understand what he's saying, that his birthday is on Saturday next year. He sobs, tears roll down his cheeks. Others haven't heard about Leap Years either, but they get it. I explain about the lost days when Britain changed to the Gregorian Calendar from the Julian Calendar in the 18th Century, a couple of hundred years after the rest of Europe (nothing new there then), and how people rioted because they thought they had lost those days out of their lives. I tell them how it was necessary for there to be extra days every four years to keep the dates in time with the seasons. I say that this happens in years divisible by 4, except in century years, which have to be divisible by 400. Someone else says they always coincide with Olympics years.
Ben was inconsolable. What a cruel teacher!
I knew we changed the calendar - and that confuses things when it comes to historical dates (didn't Christmas used to be sometime in February?!)- I just never quite understood why, so thank you for the history lesson 'Oracle-Val'.
ReplyDeleteNo, not cruel...just trying to be a good teacher.
ReplyDeleteThat kind of stuff just doesn't make sense to autistics. They don't like irregularities of any sort. But of course you already knew that...
ReplyDeleteToday one of my kids was working on a math problem that could done two ways. He insisted that they be done in a certain order. Which was ok, but he just couldn't see they were interchangable.
Fun history lesson, Val! And I accept it . . . but I only "kinda" get it. My brain hurts.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you for the history. I try not to think to much about the leap years; I can barely remember when daylight savings time is.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm a little smarter.
In the USA, leap year also coincides with a Presidential election year.
ReplyDeleteThey used to also coincide w/ the Olympics, but with the summer/winter games done every 2 years, now leap year only occurs in Summer Olympic years.
Not cruel,just being a good teacher.I vaguely remember the lesson from school..no doubt my kids could teach me again ( I hope anyway)
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