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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Raising Children Thread

otterpop said:
My son got to use real fireworks for the first time on the 4th. We live in a city that bans them, but this year one of his friends who lives in the lawless environs outside the city invited him to spend the night. So we traveled outside town and purchased some illicit fireworks. Not the stuff you can buy on the Rez - that stuff is really scarey.

When I picked him up the next day, he showed me a first degree burn and singed hair on his leg and asked, "Mama is going to notice, isn't she? She notices everything." Apparently someone was firing a rocket and it fell off the stand and shot past him, grazing his leg. I had to laugh.

Every boy should have at least one minor fireworks related injury and a good story to go with it. He has been initiated into the Fraternity of Men. We do dumb and sometimes dangerous things. Because it's fun!

So far Mama is none the wiser. And, true to the Fraternity of Men, a bro doesn't rat out a bro, even if that bro is his father.
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Sounds like he had a good time. Every kid needs a "hurts don't it" experience.
 
I guess we're doing something right.

(my 8yr old son at the playground today)

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Boy, I say, boy. What are you doing reading some long-headed book when you could be out playing cowboys and Indians or baseball?

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You're doing good over there mendelman!

rt had her check up today. 3.5 years old, 48.5 lbs and 43" tall....the size of an average 5 year old. She was fine until they did the blood draw and she told the nurse "You hurt me, that's not nice. Papa take me home!"
 
Hink said:
You are right. Get him to rock the argyle early. You are doing something right!! ;)
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He prefers to wear a sweater with his shorts in the summer, recently. It's a strange combo, but he's doing it himself and it's weather appropriate(ish), so we don't worry about it.

And this is an object lesson in how to get preteen boys to read. The book is a 'no pictures' novella about Minecraft. He's loves the subject matter and is devouring them.

Now I need to leave some Vonnegut or PK Dick around the house to entice him.

And Maister...I try some of that for balance, but he's leaning more toward imaginative play (he still loves his wooden Thomas trains) or reading indoors. But he does get a fair amount of outdoor activity nonetheless.
 
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So yesterday I was grievously wounded in a light saber duel. Got whacked in the face, turned away from the blow and twisted my ankle, and wrenched my left wrist when I broke my fall. Now my right ankle is swollen and left wrist. Not quite Anakin post-Obi-wan, but ugly enough to keep me seated at my desk all day.
 
Maister said:
So yesterday I was grievously wounded in a light saber duel. Got whacked in the face, turned away from the blow and twisted my ankle, and wrenched my left wrist when I broke my fall. Now my right ankle is swollen and left wrist. Not quite Anakin post-Obi-wan, but ugly enough to keep me seated at my desk all day.
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Those certainly can be rough. I've had several Nerf sword battle wounds in my time...and I'm usually fighting three warriors at once.
 
kjel said:
You're doing good over there mendelman!

rt had her check up today. 3.5 years old, 48.5 lbs and 43" tall....the size of an average 5 year old. She was fine until they did the blood draw and she told the nurse "You hurt me, that's not nice. Papa take me home!"
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Love tall girls! My nearly three year old little man is 41" and my girls are also tall, so anytime I see another tall kiddo I get all giddy. I can't help myself.
 
We're having a 5th birthday party for our daughter in a couple of weeks. It's her first birthday party with friends coming over. Anybody have any tips on how much chocolate I should put in the piñata?
 
WSU MUP Student said:
We're having a 5th birthday party for our daughter in a couple of weeks. It's her first birthday party with friends coming over. Anybody have any tips on how much chocolate I should put in the piñata?
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It's a balancing act. You don't have to load it with chocolate, other candy works as well. After all, when the thing breaks, it's a free for all. The secret is not to overload the thing. They do have weight limits. I had to improvise a zip tie hanger by making my own holes with the last one. So as you fill, check the weight once in a while.
 
I just wanted to know how much chocolate would be good for an outdoor party in the August heat. Maybe I'll get a bunch of bees from a local apiary and stuff it with them instead - that way each child could start their own beehive at home!
 
I had a pinata for my 50th (two of them, actually, a 5 and a 0). My idjit sister/nieces packed them with that Brach's junk from the bulk candy aisle, way too much for the hanging structure to support. My contribution was little plastic bicycles.
 
Veloise said:
I had a pinata for my 50th (two of them, actually, a 5 and a 0). My idjit sister/nieces packed them with that Brach's junk from the bulk candy aisle, way too much for the hanging structure to support. My contribution was little plastic bicycles.
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Our piñata was full of sugar in the form of pixie sticks, Ring Pops, candy necklaces, Swedish fish, Starburst, some other gummy stuff, and then some bouncy balls. However, opening the piñata turned into quite the ordeal. At first I was afraid that it would open after the first or second kid swung at it and then the rest of the kids would be sad they wouldn't get a chance. No worries there though. It took 4 rounds through 8 little girls, each taking multiple swings at a time, to even put a dent in it. These 5-year-old girls need some more protein in their diets! Finally, I had to step in and take some swings. Even then, I could put holes in it but it wouldn't break open and actually spill the candy so I had to tear it open with my hands. By this points, the girls had started to get bored of the piñata and went off to go play on the swings or elsewhere and we had burned through so much time that we barely had time to open the gifts. This pretty accurately sums up the piñata:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYIlyRGrA4

Overall though, the party went off without a hitch. It was our first time having that many kids over all at once so we had no clue how it would go. Thankfully, the weather was great (sunny but cool) so the kids could do everything outside. I had put out the hammock beforehand and that kept them occupied for a good 20 minutes - there were some girls who I think had never seen a hammock and were just amazed at how fun climbing in can be.

Some highlights:
  • Walking down the hallway to get something from a bedroom and glancing into the bathroom and seeing a girl standing at the sink with the water at full blast spraying everywhere and looking at me with a look in her eye like she knows she's up to no good
  • Having a troop of little girls over who have never heard my dad jokes let me feel like the funniest guy around
  • One of the little girls just disappearing during cake and ice cream and we find her sitting on our daughter's bed playing with stuffed animals
  • Two little girls found the stash of extra pixie sticks and plowed through a few dozen in just a couple minutes
  • The sound of 8 little girls running around happily screeching is actually a pretty nice sound
  • I was more tired that evening after 2.5 hours of a party (plus set-up and clean-up) than I was from any 16 mile run
 
WSU MUP Student said:
  • The sound of 8 little girls running around happily screeching is actually a pretty nice sound
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This is my favorite birthday memory. Lots of kids running and screaming.
The last party I did had a pinata, but there were some boys and really aggressive girls. They are tough to break though.
Best party attraction at my house, the rope hanging in the tree. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it.
 
dvdneal said:
Best party attraction at my house, the rope hanging in the tree. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it.
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I had a giant rope for the piñata with one end wrapped around a tree trunk and the other end hanging down toward the ground, and before I had tied the piñata to it, the kids were definitely having some fun trying to pull on it and swing from it. Had I known that was going to be so fun, I would have hung it a bit lower so they could reach it easier and then tie a few knots in it for them as well.
 
Growing up we had a rope swing tied off between two trees. The seat was big as I remember - something like a 4 x 12 ? and the rope was thick - maybe 2 inches ?
 
Last kiddie b-day party I went to with a piñata was a disaster. The thing wouldn't break so the dad goes into a garage and gets a 4-iron out of his golf bag and swings it like crazy. It flew across the yard with the kids running after it and landed - still didn't break open. He then proceeded to smash it to bits with the club. It was an ugly mess. I told him later a 4-iron was too much club, he didn't find that humorous.
 
mendelman said:
The book is a 'no pictures' novella about Minecraft. He's loves the subject matter and is devouring them.
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Mendelman what are the Minecraft books that your son enjoys (titles, authors)? My son is completely obsessed with Minecraft right now and literally all of the Minecraft-related books at the library were checked out when we looked yesterday.
 
terraplnr said:
Mendelman what are the Minecraft books that your son enjoys (titles, authors)? My son is completely obsessed with Minecraft right now and literally all of the Minecraft-related books at the library were checked out when we looked yesterday.
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This is the series he's into - https://clevnet.bibliocommons.com/item/show/6762795048_invasion_of_the_overworld

And there are tons of others. Also, we have found them at our local Target, so you might have them at yours as well.

And there are even "how to" instructional books about how to build stuff and general info about the various characters.
 
Maister said:
How old were your kids when you introduced them to the lawn mower?
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I learned at age 12. RT would have had to do it but the lawn care was provided by the HOA at the house we lived in when she was 12.

We don't have a grass back yard at the current house, but she's an eager container gardener.
 
I think I was probably 9 or 10. That seems early by Cyburbia standards, but I grew up on a farm and was driving a tractor in the field as soon as I was strong enough to hold the wheel straight (I think I was 7 or 8 when I first "drove" the tractor... it was at super slow speeds and just in a straight line while pulling the hay wagon and my dad would jump on at the end of the field and turn the wheel to go the other way down the next row).
 
WSU MUP Student said:
I think I was probably 9 or 10. That seems early by Cyburbia standards, but I grew up on a farm and was driving a tractor in the field as soon as I was strong enough to hold the wheel straight (I think I was 7 or 8 when I first "drove" the tractor... it was at super slow speeds and just in a straight line while pulling the hay wagon and my dad would jump on at the end of the field and turn the wheel to go the other way down the next row).
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My nine year old just got to drive the truck at the ranch a few weeks ago. She didn't go over 10 mph but she was so excited - I think it will be one of the memories that stands out because she visiting the grandparents, having the time of her life at the ranch, and then got to drive the truck. But my parents can be those cool grandparents and let the kids get away with more than we would. I probably would wait a few more years for a lawn mower, but with the allergies in my house I don't mind paying for that.
 
I was 12 when I started and started by mowing the ~2 acres of lawn at my grandparent's house with a (thank god) self propeller walk behind mower.

Then I got to do our house yard too and did till I didn't live at home anymore when I was 20.

Once my brother and I were moved out and no longer in the same town as my parent's my dad came to the realization that he now had to start mowing the yard...after ~15 years of not having to do it.

I plan on making my boys help once they hit ~10.
 
Every now and then we check our browser history to see what kind of things the 9 yo is looking at. The other day we found a website on "how to get revenge on your younger sister".

Part of me is proud that she knows how to work the interwebs. Part of me is laughing because I would have loved a site like that to get revenge on my brother a couple times (I did it the old fashioned way and invented my own revenge). Part is just amused that a website like that exists, but I'm not surprised. The rest of me is just watching to see which tricks she tries to pull.

They actually get along pretty well, the older just hates when the younger over reacts to things and gets her in trouble. You know, a touch becomes a hit, etc.
 
dvdneal said:
Every now and then we check our browser history to see what kind of things the 9 yo is looking at. The other day we found a website on "how to get revenge on your younger sister".

Part of me is proud that she knows how to work the interwebs. Part of me is laughing because I would have loved a site like that to get revenge on my brother a couple times (I did it the old fashioned way and invented my own revenge). Part is just amused that a website like that exists, but I'm not surprised. The rest of me is just watching to see which tricks she tries to pull.

They actually get along pretty well, the older just hates when the younger over reacts to things and gets her in trouble. You know, a touch becomes a hit, etc.
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My kids would totally love your kids. We need to be neighbors.
 
Yesterday was the first day of kindergarten and my daughter was soooooooooooo excited that mom acquiesced and allowed her to ride the bus to school.

She was all hyped up on Cocoa Puffs and glazed donut holes so she refused to sit still for a photo so all the ones we got were of her "posing"

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Walking to the bus stop
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When we got to the bus stop we discovered that there is suddenly a little boy also starting kindergarten who is living in the house next to us now (this boy seriously was not there a week ago and we have no idea who his parents are, but the house is owned by a well-known children's author and used for housing for his nanny so maybe he has another person working for him and living there too?) and our daughter was happy to meet him.

We met the bus at the school (we weren't that helicoptering, the school wanted parents of the kindergartners to walk them in yesterday and today) and when she got off the bus she was talking with the little boy and holding hands with some little girl she met on the bus and having a great time. She was sad that her first three days are all half days.
 
Awesome pics, WSU!

I love her superhero accouterments - shirt, packpack and Lego Robin (to keep her company).
 
My son is intelligent, confident, driven, engaged and socially adept, which are traits I don't exactly shine at. So it makes me wonder if my son turning out so awesome is the result of great parenting, or me just being such a bad example. :not:

But I do know that 90 percent of what he is is because of who he is. :)
 
Bullies

A friend of mine in WI is having problems with her 1st grad daughter being bullied. Now my friend is very eclectic hipster, and her daughter likes to dress similar to that of Punky Bruster and is being bullied by it. Now she does not want to go to school and it sounds like none of the other kids were willing to stand up for her and the teacher was being a bit passive about the situation.

It sparked an interesting conversation at our dinner table about doing the right thing vs not doing the wrong thing. I praised my son because there have been a few times were he has stuck up for other kids when so many of his classmates just looked the other way. He has even gotten into a fight with another kid because a bully would not stop picking on his friend. I also reminded him that I will never get angry at him or punish him for standing up and doing the right thing.

It does worry me though. It seems that so much of society is teaching their kids the "I didn't see anything" approach. Maybe if more kids stood up to the bullies, they wouldn't get bullied anymore.

It also reminds me of the Sheep, Wolves, Sheepdog discussion in American Sniper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZ0UZf0mkk

What are your thoughts?
 
I like the 'Sheepdog' analogy, but only to the extent that it doesn't turn into 'eye for an eye' retaliation.

The Sheepdog needs to break it up before it gets worse or, even better, try to make sure it doesn't occur in the first place.

The intent/tone of 'finish it' from the above clip concerns me.
 
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michaelskis said:
It also reminds me of the Sheep, Wolves, Sheepdog discussion in American Sniper.



What are your thoughts?
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I think that it's okay for kids to lookout for themselves and others. They should. With that said, I am okay with my kids defending themselves and others. I am not okay with them doing anything more than necessary to ensure their safety. Its not up to the kids to administer their own self perceived justices.
 
Sheepdog vs. wolf analogy is a good one. Shows reasonable restraint

Here in Montana, ranchers sometimes have llamas run with the sheep. The llama is a herd animal and accepts the role of leader and protector. Heaven help the wolf or coyote that messed with the sheep when a llama is on duty. The llama kicks the s**t out of the interloping canine. A llama can kill a coyote. I haven't heard of a llama killing a wolf, but it could happen.

So I guess we want our kids to be like sheepdogs and not llamas ;)
 
I've never bought a toy/item to kind of "collect" and just keep for future enjoyment somehow, but I'm considering maaaabe doing that. My son has loved Wall-E ever since he was very little, and has several Wall-E toys and items. He had a Wall-E birthday party two years ago and it was hard to find Wall-E presents for him, so many things have become collector's items and were crazy expensive. Well, we were flipping through the latest Lego catalogue and they have a Wall-E Lego set, which he was very excited about! So I bought him one for Christmas, but am really debating on whether to buy another and keep it maybe as a future gift for him, or to use if he loses pieces from the first Wall-E set, or to finance his first year of college (am kidding). But then I think that would be silly, to buy something extraneous like that just to let it sit around. Any advice? Waste of money or not a terrible idea? :p I guess it partially depends on how long they produce the Lego Wall-E set.
 
terra - do we somehow share the same 8 year old boy?

My oldest loves Wall-E. He has worn the same Wall-E Halloween costume for the last 5 years and has a ton of Wall-E merch - figurines, stuffed animals, posters, etc.

My wife and I saw the Wall-E Lego set as well and will be getting it for him for Christmas.

As for you buying extras for replacement parts or 'investment', do it. It's always the obscure sets that become the sought after collector items.

Btw, does your son wear glasses and have sandy blonde hair? Just checking? :D
 
mendelman said:
terra - do we somehow share the same 8 year old boy?

My oldest loves Wall-E. He has worn the same Wall-E Halloween costume for the last 5 years and has a ton of Wall-E merch - figurines, stuffed animals, posters, etc.

My wife and I saw the Wall-E Lego set as well and will be getting it for him for Christmas.

As for you buying extras for replacement parts or 'investment', do it. It's always the obscure sets that become the sought after collector items.

Btw, does your son wear glasses and have sandy blonde hair? Just checking? :D
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Haha he has strawberry blonde hair and no glasses (yet) but it sounds like they would be fast friends, aww! I did buy the extra Wall-E set. :D
 
We received Miniskis 1st quarter report card last night and it looks like we have an issue but we are not sure what is going on. According to this report card, he is reading at an RB level when he should be reading at a D level. However, he was tested before we left Michigan, and he was already reading at a D level. Everything in his class is rated on a 1 to 4 scale where 1 is needs improvement and 4 is excel at subject. He received mostly 3's, a few 2's, and had three 1's all in reading. But he had zero 4's. The kid can do long division and is awesome at multiplication and they have him a 3.

We think one of two things is happening.
Option one, the school that he was at inflated his reading score, which given how much he reads and how he is able to read a book and provide a fairly detailed synopsis to us, I doubt that is the case.

Option two, he is board in his class and he is pushing back by being uncooperative.
 
michaelskis said:
We received Miniskis 1st quarter report card last night and it looks like we have an issue but we are not sure what is going on. According to this report card, he is reading at an RB level when he should be reading at a D level. However, he was tested before we left Michigan, and he was already reading at a D level. Everything in his class is rated on a 1 to 4 scale where 1 is needs improvement and 4 is excel at subject. He received mostly 3's, a few 2's, and had three 1's all in reading. But he had zero 4's. The kid can do long division and is awesome at multiplication and they have him a 3.

We think one of two things is happening.
Option one, the school that he was at inflated his reading score, which given how much he reads and how he is able to read a book and provide a fairly detailed synopsis to us, I doubt that is the case.

Option two, he is board in his class and he is pushing back by being uncooperative.
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He might be bored (although given his dad's misspellings???:D;)I'm kidding!). Seriously, in her early grades, The Girl had a similar issue. We had a parent/teacher meeting where we all agreed she needed to be challenged. It changed by the next report card period. Since them at every grade, whenever we had the 'meet the teacher' or similar meetings I always say "Keep her challenged" and its worked out great.
 
Planit said:
He might be bored (although given his dad's misspellings???:D;)I'm kidding!). Seriously, in her early grades, The Girl had a similar issue. We had a parent/teacher meeting where we all agreed she needed to be challenged. It changed by the next report card period. Since them at every grade, whenever we had the 'meet the teacher' or similar meetings I always say "Keep her challenged" and its worked out great.
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My wife contacted the school and we requested a meeting with the teacher to discuss that exact topic. The other option is we are looking to get him into a Montessori / STEM school that has a model closer to what he had back in Michigan. He did awesome in that type of program and we think that part of it might just be the education model that he is in right now.
 
For those with with multiple children, how did the oldest take it when you first told them they were going to be a big brother or sister?

I'm asking for a friend.
 
I have two girls. The oldest was 3 at the time and she was okay. When the baby was born she wanted to help, but she wasn't the overly helpful big sister. No problems. Now that they're 9 and 6 they fight over everything, get jealous if one gets something and the other doesn't, the usual. Best part, they fight over who gets to sit next to me or who gets hugged first when I walk out the door.
 
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