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Kids - A thread for bragging, venting and, advice.

I have four kids.  They all make their lunch, although the JK'er gets some help from his siblings.  The two oldest are 13 and 10, so they do their own laundry (and help with everyone else as well).  They clean their room, kitchen, dishes, bathrooms, and other areas when needed.  Everyone does their part.  The two oldest have won academic awards.  I try to teach them to work hard, play hard, and keep their mouth shut.  Don't teach kids to be lazy.

An inspiration quote from Albert Einstein on success, "If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
 
AlmosGirl said:
I seriously hate back to school because it's more work for me.

Oldest son is starting his 2nd yr of University.  Not much for me to do but still, his room is a disaster.

Daughter in grade 10 and already hates her science teacher!  Lovely.  I drive her every morning and then the little guy starts JK next week.  Lunches and snacks to do, more clothes to wash.  Ugh, did I mention that I hate school and everything that it entails.
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I'll sort of echo moon here; daughter in grade 10 and son in university? There shouldn't be much laundry for you to do at all; I'm sure they can take care of it themselves.

The rule in my house was if you can reach the dials, you can do your own laundry. Sure mom helped out lots, but I was still expected to do most of my own.
 
Bullfrog said:
AlmosGirl said:
I seriously hate back to school because it's more work for me.

Oldest son is starting his 2nd yr of University.  Not much for me to do but still, his room is a disaster.

Daughter in grade 10 and already hates her science teacher!  Lovely.  I drive her every morning and then the little guy starts JK next week.  Lunches and snacks to do, more clothes to wash.  Ugh, did I mention that I hate school and everything that it entails.
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I'll sort of echo moon here; daughter in grade 10 and son in university? There shouldn't be much laundry for you to do at all; I'm sure they can take care of it themselves.

The rule in my house was if you can reach the dials, you can do your own laundry. Sure mom helped out lots, but I was still expected to do most of my own.
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Laundry isn't really the issue (just overall there is more to do when they are going to school) and yes, the older 2 do their own laundry, I just help sort now and then.  They also have chores like the dishwasher, garbage and generally keeping their rooms cleaned BUT, there is the rest of the house, washrooms, floors, dinner, etc...  I cannot expect them to spend their whole time being maids and cleaning the house when they have school/studying to do, which is the most important thing of all.  They tidy up their own bathroom but in all seriousness, it doesn't get cleaned like I would do it and unfortunately, that has to be done at least 2x a month.  My 4 yr old is in a class all by himself and can turn the house upside down within a minute.  It's not just really about doing the things that they can do but reminding them to do it and trust me, teenagers need to be reminded constantly to do things.  They are far from lazy and everyone does their part but when you are the primary caregiver, it's hard.  My hubby's job does not allow much time for him to be home.  When he is off, he helps out and that makes a difference but it's not a regular 9 to 5 job.

Add into the running around for hockey, swimming, whatever else they are doing, it doesn't leave much time for just a quiet evening.  Don't get me wrong, they grow way too darn fast and one day, they will be on their own and hubby and I will be empty nesting and bored but that doesn't mean I can't whine about it now and then.  ;)

All I'm saying is that life is just much much busier when school is in.  Summer is a lazier, wind down more casual time.  I enjoy it, I enjoy the kids being home and I'm not in a rush to ship them off to school and get them out of my hair.  I enjoy being home with my kids when I can.  School and the long year ahead is foreboding in the beginning.  Everyone gets used to it and you get into a normal groove again but it's the starting of it that is hard.
 
11 years ago today my one and only child was born. Seems just like yesterday. Happy, healthy, and the best thing that ever happened to me - she is such a wonderful daughter and an incredibly bright, caring, and thoughtful person (really makes me wonder if she's actually mine  ;)).  Being Daddy is where it's at.

Hug your kids and tell them you love them........
 
So my son, who just turned 3, threw a car at the TV today and cracked the screen. Bye bye TV.

This does not fall under the "bragging" portion of the thread.
 
I think at this time, I'd accept the physical violence if it meant I can watch TV in HD on my 50" plasma TV.  8)
 
I signed my daughter up for hockey this year. We've also signed her up for canskate to help her progress in her skills.
When I told her yesterday morning that we had to get ready for canskate, she looked at me funny and said, "I'm not a canskater dad, I'm a HOCKEY PLAYER!"
Warms my heart!
 
Bullfrog said:
So my son, who just turned 3, threw a car at the TV today and cracked the screen. Bye bye TV.

This does not fall under the "bragging" portion of the thread.
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quite the tv critic, isn't he? Was he watching Jersey Shore or sumpthin'?
 
Bullfrog said:
So my son, who just turned 3, threw a car at the TV today and cracked the screen. Bye bye TV.

This does not fall under the "bragging" portion of the thread.
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Yikes.  Sorry about that BF!
 
OldTimeHockey said:
I signed my daughter up for hockey this year. We've also signed her up for canskate to help her progress in her skills.
When I told her yesterday morning that we had to get ready for canskate, she looked at me funny and said, "I'm not a canskater dad, I'm a HOCKEY PLAYER!"
Warms my heart!
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LOL!  Awesome!

Our 4 yr old did skating lessons last year and just started Learn to Play hockey at Varsity last Sunday.  It was so cute and funny.
 
So my nephew said something the other day that I just had to repeat.

Simply put, at five years old, dude doesn't entirely grasp romantic relationships and what makes it a little confusing for him is that not many of the grown-ups he knows are married. My sister and her boyfriend aren't and in the hipster-weirdo-vegan neighbourhood they live in it's a fairly common state. So what my nephew understands it as is that people have "sweeties". His mom and dad are each others sweeties and my girlfriend is Uncle Nik's sweetie and so on.

So, anyways, the other day at our Friday Night dinner the kid says "You know, I think when I grow up I might want my sweetie to be another boy."

And, progressive, liberal, city Jews that we are were all like "Well, sure, that's an option. There are boys who have sweeties who are boys like your dad's best friend Malcolm. Why, though?"

And he says "Well, I really like Star Wars and it seems to me like only other boys like Star Wars. So I think I'll really want a sweetie who is into Star Wars because that seems to me to be the most important thing."

That got me a few looks because I'm the Uncle who showed the kid Star Wars when he was three but meanwhile all I can think is ...man, the wisdom of kids. If only I'd thought of that and the whole thing was a choice, you know?
 
Our local hockey club has a great intro skating/hockey program for kids.  Last year, I asked my youngest if he'd be interested.  All I could hear is hockey this and that non-stop.  Paid for the program, bought the equipment, and... ...absolute refusal to do anything ... even sit for the team picture.  I lost it.  This year, I asked again and was actually relieved when he said no.  Now he comes in, dressed in his old hockey gear saying he's ready to go.  So this weekend I take him to a public skate.  Starts getting upset as I try to help him.  So what's he do?  He starts getting up on his own and skating up to 10 feet.  I'm not sure if I should call him stubborn or determined.  I'm not getting old, my kids are just slowly killing me.
 
moon111 said:
Our local hockey club has a great intro skating/hockey program for kids.  Last year, I asked my youngest if he'd be interested.  All I could hear is hockey this and that non-stop.  Paid for the program, bought the equipment, and... ...absolute refusal to do anything ... even sit for the team picture.  I lost it.  This year, I asked again and was actually relieved when he said no.  Now he comes in, dressed in his old hockey gear saying he's ready to go.  So this weekend I take him to a public skate.  Starts getting upset as I try to help him.  So what's he do?  He starts getting up on his own and skating up to 10 feet.  I'm not sure if I should call him stubborn or determined.  I'm not getting old, my kids are just slowly killing me.
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My middle daughter refused to do anything skating wise when she was 3 or 4. She would stand on the ice screaming her head off until finally I'd take her off.
My wife and I tried again when she was 6 and again she refused. So we kind of gave up the struggle.
Then, at the age of 9, she went to a birthday party in March of that year that was a skating party. So, I bit the bullet and went out and bought her a cheap pair of figure skates and brought her to the party. She got on the ice and was a complete natural! Problem was, the skating season was over so I figured I'd lost her.

Over the summer she continued to bring up signing up for figure skating so in September of that year I signed her up for Canskate. I was worried about the age gap between her and the little ones. By Christmas she was taken out of Canskate and moved into the figureskating program and hasn't stopped since.

I wish I would of started her earlier..but sometimes I just think they need those extra couple days/months/years to realize how silly they were being for refusing something.

(btw, now I'm up to my neck in 'figure skating' bills. You'd figure it'd be cheaper than hockey but that's not bloody likely!)
 
my daughter's in her 20s now, but she cost me between 3 and 4 grand a year in figure skating too back in the day. She doesn't take lessons or skate competitively anymore, but still skates circles around all her friends when they go skating just for fun. Most of her friends love to watch her do her spirals and spins and stuff.

and I can barely skate! :)
 
Bullfrog said:
LittleHockeyFan said:
between 3 and 4 grand a year in figure skating
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wha, wha??

Don't you just buy a pair of skates, some membership fees, and a frilly outfit?
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Skates are $600 bucks or so(depending on competitive level), you usually need two outfits per show that run a hundred bucks or so each...You then need all your warm up gear and skating stuff for the practices. You have to pay coaches anywhere from $8 to $20 per 15 minutes of coaching(again depending on competitive level), which is usually done 5-6 times a week. There is then the ice time/membership fees that run into the $1100 range(up here in Sudbury anyways)..You then add in all the travel costs etc. for travelling to events throughout the province(throughout the north for me so far so I've been lucky).
 
Bullfrog said:
LittleHockeyFan said:
between 3 and 4 grand a year in figure skating
Click to expand...

wha, wha??

Don't you just buy a pair of skates, some membership fees, and a frilly outfit?
Click to expand...

LOL.
Dancer skates- 600 bucks for the boots, 400 bucks for the blades. Sharpening every other skating day, 12 bucks. Frilly outfit 100 bucks each, probably need at least 2. Regular skating clothes 200 bucks. Costumes for Skate Carnival or whathaveyou another 50 bucks. Ice time: 850-1100 bucks for the skate club membership. Coaching: 35 bucks per 15 minute session, 4-6 sessions a week 140-210 a week. And then there's competition entrance fees. 25 bucks per. Plus the cost of travel, hotel, food when away. Admittedly, once they've done growing up, you probably don't need new skates every year.......
 
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