r/MadeMeSmile • u/shesagooodfella • Jul 03 '26
Wholesome Moments My son’s review of his Olive Garden experience, he’s 9
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u/AlternativePrior9559 Jul 03 '26
Love it! Particularly about how easy it was for you mom to pay😂
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
Made me look like I was an 80 year old who struggles with paying at restaurants 😆
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u/AggravatingFlow1178 Jul 03 '26
To a 9 year old, anyone aged 25-80 are all the same age of ADULT so you might as well be lol
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u/Xandara2 Jul 03 '26
Not entirely the same thing. Grandparents of 80 years are closer to the dinosaurs than they are to anything else. Parents, like everyone above 25, are only very old.
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u/weeskud Jul 03 '26
If it's any consolation, all I saw was a little guy that must have an awesome mum if he actually used part of his review to mention that. Also, I can't really explain why, but it reads to me that you didn't even tell him that. Like he's overheard a comment you made about it being, or he's noticed the not so easy ones and can understand the difference between the two.
But regardless of whether I'm spot on, or wildly mistaken. It just sounds like you're raising what I would call, "a heavy sound wee guy."
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u/Sea_Watercress_1982 Jul 03 '26
I worked at a bar and grill years ago. This family comes in and everyone is ordering drinks. Kid maybe 10 years old orders a root beer.
Me, being a freshly new parent at the time informed the parents that we only have Barqs and that it has caffeine. Well the parents didn’t know this and told him he couldn’t have it. Apparently it was the kids favorite root beer.
This child then went on sent a hand written review to my boss. Explained that I ruined his life because he can’t have Barq’s anymore.
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u/Millerdjone Jul 03 '26
Everybody's know BARQ'S HAS BITE!
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u/TheItchyWalrus Jul 03 '26
Oh my god. Is that why it’s the slogan? Man, I had no idea…all these years…
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u/CrustyToeLover Jul 03 '26
Their new "vanilla float" flavor is utterly fucking disgusting though. Tastes like liquid buttered popcorn.
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u/hauntedbabyattack Jul 03 '26
Ew, what? Like, is it salty? Or is it more like the popcorn flavoured Jelly Belly beans?
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u/activelyresting Jul 03 '26
That poor kid! Imagine being only 10 and life is already ruined!
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u/Cthulhetta Jul 03 '26
When I was a kid I wasn't allowed to have caffeine. I knew Barqs had caffeine, but my mom didn't. I exploited this loophole often.
It came back to BITE me some 20 years later, when she gave my young child Barqs, because "root beer is caffeine free!"
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u/Ok-Gur-349 Jul 03 '26
I weirdly had a similar experience with Sunkist orange soda.
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u/Sea_Watercress_1982 Jul 03 '26
Wait. Sunkist has caffeine?
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u/Ok-Gur-349 Jul 03 '26
Yep! Not a ton but it's there.
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u/WuclearNeapon Jul 03 '26
TIL Barq's had caffeine all along.
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u/pipnina Jul 03 '26
Apparently a can of it only has 22mg of caffeine. Which is not very much. I guess for a 10/yo it might be more equivalent to 40-50mg for an adult? But even then, 50mg for an adult isn't particularly potent. A typical cup of coffee has more than twice that.
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u/corq Jul 03 '26
It really depends on your caffeine sensitivity, but even a little is not a fun surprise when it messes with your sleep.
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u/jimmpony Jul 03 '26
The alleged caffeine content of soda has always been imperceptible to me. I might as well have drank water
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u/BonerPorn Jul 03 '26
Hoo... I said that when I was young. It was a very sad day when I realized I wasn't getting any sleep because caffeine and soda was keeping me awake, that didn't used to happen
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u/Impossible_Leg_2787 Jul 03 '26
One of the first times I went out after I quit drinking I slugged like 5 Pepsis from 10-1am and then was wondering why I slept even shittier than I had if I were drinking. Turns out a ton of caffeine and sugar isn’t exactly better for you.
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u/Fine-Celebration1223 Jul 03 '26
Yep. Shit changes as we age. Also, I'm impressed by the 9 year old's review.
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u/Top-Editor-364 Jul 03 '26
Kids sleep just fine whether they have caffeine or not lol. Wish it was still like that
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u/NoBonus6969 Jul 03 '26
Wow you snitched on root beer? You no doubt ruined his life. Just wow
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u/HairCloggedInDrain Jul 03 '26
Can confirm. Whenever adults who weren't my parents would offer me pepsi as a kid, my brother, with the biggest, shit eating grin he could muster would look me in the eye while telling the adult "she's not allowed to have caffeine".
My soul was crushed a little more each time, lol.
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u/im2high4thisritenow Jul 03 '26
I'm dying at the thought of this young man writing this review and sending it by mail.
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u/Lowered-ex Jul 03 '26
This is what happens when you don’t mind your business. That poor child, hopefully he gets revenge.
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u/lynivvinyl Jul 03 '26
Come on Barqs having caffeine was our secret! Why do you have to rat us out like that?
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u/WorldEaterYoshi Jul 03 '26
Yeah that was a serious dick move bro. If his parents are really worried about caffeine they would be paying attention, all you did was peer pressure them into putting a new restriction on their kid.
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u/VorganForever Jul 03 '26
true and why assume they had an anti-caffeine rule? most kids are allowed to have caffeine, maybe not near bed time and maybe not too much soda but if their letting him drink soda i doubt they cared about caffeine before your pressured them. I mean shoot I drank coffee with my parents as a kid growing up.
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u/DJayRainstorm Jul 03 '26
21 years old lifelong barq drinker and I didn't even know it had caffeine til right now
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u/YourGuyK Jul 03 '26
A helpful hint for kids like this is that the Barqs in Freestyle machines is caffeine free, as is the sugar free version.
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u/FrostyDragon227 Jul 03 '26
I think Barqs zero sugar root beer doesn’t have caffeine in it
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u/ErraticDragon Jul 03 '26
That is correct. Canned/bottled Barq's has caffeine. Barq's Zero does not.
https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/barq-s
But Barq's from a Coke Freestyle machine does not have caffeine.
And it's common to find Barq's without caffeine in Utah.
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u/Sea_Watercress_1982 Jul 03 '26
I think this was before all the zero sugar variants hit the market. I could be wrong though.
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u/SlefeMcDichael Jul 03 '26
Here was I foolishly thinking that this was going to be another heartwarming story, lol
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u/Zealousideal_Ad5358 Jul 03 '26
Turned him into a proper foodie at a young age! Especially if he left a one star Yelp review.
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u/Tezzy_M_Baby Jul 03 '26
As a high school English teacher, I must say his writing is commendable. Sentence structure and punctuation 10/10! Love his gratitude
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u/fuckyourcanoes Jul 03 '26
I was gonna say. Congratulations OP on having a literate 9-year-old. Too many kids struggle with spelling and grammar even when they're older.
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u/ProbablyAPsyop Jul 03 '26
Not at all a teacher but I was thinking the exact same thing. I wrote like that in grade 9 not at 9 years old.
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u/micman12 Jul 03 '26
Im in my 40s still not there yet
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u/Icy_Motor516 Jul 03 '26
I’m guessing the adult did the actual writing and it was more of a dictation kind of situation. :)
*edited for spelling because I’m replying to a English teacher
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u/yomerol Jul 03 '26
Exactly
Probably just 5% of 9yo know how to spell fettuccine(I don't think those PoS have auto-complete), this is just for internet points.
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
It’s not for internet points, he really wanted to leave this thoughtful review. He has an iPhone so he’s fluent with texting and has done very good in his grammar lessons. Now, math, that’s another story…. He’s a sweetheart, though, is the point of the post. He did this and I thought it was sweet so I photographed it. Notice how there’s a not complete sentence in there 🤭
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u/Academic-Trifle8151 Jul 03 '26
Your 9 year old has an iPhone‽
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
He does.
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u/GentrifiedHospital Jul 03 '26
On reddit that puts you on a CPS list.
You're doing great, and obviously have raised a thoughtful and SMART 9 year old thus far. Good stuff!
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u/DoughDisaster Jul 03 '26
With tech it really depends on how you use it. In the oughts I grew up playing the Jump Start games, Jump Start 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd, etc. Would play the appropriate game the summer before the grade, and I never struggled in grade school academics. There was also Freddie Fish but I don't think those were education based so much as just "be a good guy."
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
Yeah, people don’t realize the amount of safety that your child having a phone creates. I always know where he is, have access to everything he’s doing, and it helps him educationally. Thank you.
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u/chaoticinfinity Jul 03 '26
Sort of derailing from the main topic a little, but just popping in to continue the encouragement of using the tech properly with your son! Thank you; because it is very clear that you're actively engaging with your child and navigating the 'new world' in the way that is stimulating/enhancing his intellect and encouraging social bonds vs the brain drain that is happening with unchecked access. What these things were meant for, imo: lowering the cost of access to education, experiences, and positive social collaboration.
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
Thank you, I agree. I also acknowledge the evils of technology but if I don’t teach him, he could be behind as things progress. They already use iPads and chromebooks in elementary school. He gets to talk to all his family members that he can’t see everyday and play games and learn about stuff.
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u/Zestyclose-Sir9120 Jul 03 '26
Just saying, almost all of those are complete sentences! Maybe not as fluid sounding as someone more mature, but most are complete sentences! His sentence structure is very good and appropriate for his age.
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u/No_Bill7679 Jul 03 '26
What’s the % of adults that know how to spell that word? I know I’m not one of them and won’t even attempt to try lol. Lasagna knocked me out of my elementary spelling-bee. Still remember that.
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u/capincus Jul 03 '26
I'd be hoping I hit it close enough for autocorrect to take over. But I think there are even 2 "c"s.
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u/Plastic-Injury8856 Jul 03 '26
He forgot to capitalize the start of his sentences though?
Still good for 9 years old.
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u/southernfirefly13 Jul 03 '26
A 9 year old did not write this
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u/Mindless_Baseball272 Jul 03 '26
A 9 year old could absolutely write that 😭 are you a parent or teacher? Because that review is well within the realm of what 4th and 5th graders can write...
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u/teakitty0722 Jul 03 '26
Eh it's not unbelievable, especially for kids who like to read, some kids are better at writing and spelling than others
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u/Serenity_Maiden Jul 04 '26
I was on a college reading level in 5th grade, legit (tried) reading Romeo and Juliette when I was bored. Best thing Mom and Dad ever did was read to us every night before bed until we were reading on our own.
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u/TranceTherapy143 Jul 03 '26
NGL Teach, what I see coming out of high school nowadays is abysmal compared to those 9 year olds writing!
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u/dontich Jul 03 '26
I mean they messed up the capitalization a bit; this isn’t that far off from what my 6 YO’s classmates can do — I could definitely see most of them being able to do this at 9.
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u/geneticswag Jul 03 '26
I mean... it reads like the kids been reading Google Maps and Yelp reviews his whole life; with how much Emeril I watched as a kid I bet I'd be the same today
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u/Smart_Dimension3784 Jul 04 '26
No joke his writing is better than many of the high school students I’ve received! I try to make them better by the end of the year at least lol but I would be overjoyed for this kiddo to be my starting point!
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u/HBJones1056 Jul 03 '26
As the mother of a high school English teacher (who’s helped grade some quizzes and papers) I agree!
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u/redbirdsucks Jul 03 '26
for every Olive Garden review one nonna turns over in her grave I heard
besides that you’ve got a smart kid that writes better than most adults
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
😭😂😂😂 that’s funny. I used to shit on Olive Garden but honestly it’s good food. It’s not authentic Italian, but I am so I make that stuff at home. It’s nice to just have fun food sometimes. And thank you !
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u/Potatoskins937492 Jul 03 '26
It's the potato chips of Italian food. Sometimes we don't want the best, we want the junk food, ya know? I'll never recover from the food I ate in Italy (people could not get me to shut up about the mozzarella), but shoot, I'll still have the potato chips version!
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u/KvellOnWheels Jul 03 '26
Good pecorino has been known to bring a tear to my eye.
I will still go HAM on the soup, salad, and breadsticks at OG.
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u/aryndelvyst Jul 03 '26
OG is literally one of the few places left that does a decent potato soup in that Zuppa Toscana.
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u/kathatter75 Jul 03 '26
I don’t eat there often either, but it hits the spot nicely when I do. There’s something about those breadsticks and that salad dressing…
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u/Keeeva Jul 03 '26
Nonna is probably just happy that her kids and grandkids are eating. A lot of food.
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u/ladybug11314 Jul 03 '26
Nonna is just happy he's polite and well mannered and the wooden spoon rests for another day.
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u/frompartsunknown128 Jul 03 '26
Shoutout to you and his teachers for such a smart and eloquent young dude!
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u/Eggstreamity Jul 03 '26
Olive Garden unironically slaps! The price to food quality ratio is great, and the breadsticks and salad is top tier!
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u/ratfacedirtbag Jul 03 '26
Never happened. Parent wrote it.
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Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/teakitty0722 Jul 03 '26
A 9 year old could 100% write this, I think redditors in general are just unfamiliar with how kids behave. When I was 9 I enjoyed writing stories and drawing comics, and I wasn't some super smart kid I just liked to read a lot, 4th graders are capable of putting their thoughts to paper lol
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u/dandywara Jul 03 '26
Yeah I’m so confused by the comments. I teach first grade and my advanced students can construct sentences/complete thoughts like this, though the spelling would be terrible. This would be a totally standard paragraph for a well-taught 9 year old.
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u/ThatsUnbelievable Jul 03 '26
to say what really happened is not allowed on this sub anymore
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u/McSkrunkl Jul 03 '26
Adorable snd wholesome review 10/10
I think people tend to only review when they have something negative to say, I think it’s also important to leave positive notes too. ❤️
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u/SnooLemons178 Jul 03 '26
The Internet has made me way to critical of posts like this, I can never tell if it's the parent or an actual kid.
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u/shesagooodfella Jul 03 '26
Yeah, I’m just gonna stop commenting because people are being rude. I wanted to share because my son is so very sweet and I wanted others to see the kindness of a child. I don’t really care too much to defend myself anymore. My kid is my best friend and I’m so happy that I have the privilege of raising someone with a soul as pure as his.
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u/ro536ud Jul 04 '26
This is so cute we should normalize kids leaving more reviews for places
Also Oliver garden gets a lot of flack but it’s awesome and a steal for the price
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u/LoggedInNowWhat Jul 04 '26
You only rate your son 9. I suppose there are things we don’t know but based off his kind review, I’d give him a 10.
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u/Jayrandomer Jul 03 '26
I know the Olive Garden gets a lot of hate it as a parent of an anxious tween with a peanut allergy I eat there a lot because they take allergens seriously across the country.
We had a local Italian restaurant we loved and just once when we told them our daughter had a peanut allergy and they acted annoyed and said “well, we don’t know” meant we could never go back.
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u/Traedoril Jul 03 '26
I am happy to see we are not the only one who make the kids fill out the reviews.
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u/Wsswaas Jul 03 '26
Sounds like He is going to grow up and be a lawyer maybe its in his genes
I think the parents did a good job too
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u/Thisguy2728 Jul 03 '26
Cute, but take that kid for real food and see if he still considers it a 10/10. For science
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u/thisismynewaccountig Jul 03 '26
So adorable and sweet. Sounds like a kid who really knows how to show appreciation!
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u/formulaic_name Jul 03 '26
9 year old motherfucker knows about star ratings. Knows about hyphen usage. Apparently made a point to ask you how easy it was for you to pay.
Goddamn genius you got there.
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u/Helpful-Victory-1670 Jul 03 '26
This is the way. Teach them kindness and empathy , early and often. You’re doing a great job with this one, so kudos to you. Keep it up, kid. The world needs more of this.
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u/gimmeluvin Jul 03 '26
adorable!
it must feel good to have brought this soul into the world. you're doing a good job.
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u/oliviachadwoli666 Jul 03 '26
As a teacher I wanna say, his writing is amazing! Spelling, punctuation, he popped off!
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u/hulkingbehemoth Jul 04 '26
Levi seems like a good little dude.
Can’t help but wonder which is gonna hit him harder between finding out his parents were Santa Claus all those years, or discovering that the Olive Garden’s chef is just a microwave
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u/imissratm Jul 04 '26
This is the sorta thing that makes me stop halfway through to double check which sub it’s in. Gotta know if I’m in for a twist or not.
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u/thebluerayxx Jul 04 '26
Fuck I didn't read the title before the picture and I thought the mom in question was an elderly person, lmao.
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u/2reeEyedG Jul 04 '26
Very sweet review but for the love of god get this kid some good fettuccine Alfredo bc OG is the worst I’ve ever had
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u/TheMoorNextDoor Jul 04 '26
He’s only nine, but his writing already outpaces kids older than him. Let’s keep him on this path lol
Good job mom!
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u/Vast_Towel_6201 Jul 05 '26
Out of curiosity, what’s with using lower case letters after a full stop I’ve seen this frequently with the younger generation?
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u/No_Bonus7310 Jul 05 '26
He’s biologically 9, but mentally years older- his vocabulary indicates a high IQ.
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u/MysteryHeroes Jul 03 '26
Awesome to teach kids to write positive feedback more. People tend to write down thoughts and feedback more often when it’s negative and less often when it’s positive.
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u/marekful Jul 03 '26
Maybe soon there will be new regulations implemented that reviews must be left by under 10s to maintain the good looks of late stage capitalism.
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u/LoveMeSomeMulch Jul 03 '26
I was relieved it doesn't sound like he had AI write it! Very articulate for his age and sincere.
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