BS: Boasting about my child!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 22 Jul 07 - 08:21 PM

I think it is easier because I am European and much of what he is doing I did myself in my younger days........to be honest, we are kind of hoping that he may decide to go back to England for a while -- it might help him find his way.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 03:21 AM

Well I still think you deserve a medal for your bravery in sitting back while he does it but yes, I think he'll learn a lot of life's lessons in a very pleasant way. The trouble is that, from my own experience, once he gets the travel bug you'll never get him to stop!

I hope he continues to have a great time. Well done to him and well done to you too!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 12:36 AM

Sorry. Gotta stop makin' mom nervous here.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 12:33 AM

Where there's a will . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 12:31 AM

Yes - but in a ferry terminal!!!! Not much privacy.....

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 12:01 AM

Spending the night with two German 'chicks'. That's roughing it? PLEASE give him my regards.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 11:29 PM

i have received lots of lovely PMs about my son's travels and their value to him (the verdict is universally that this trip will be great for him.....). So I thought I would report in -- with not a word of any language but English, (and that is debatable some time) he made it through Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France. He met up with a 'couple of French chicks...' who turned out to bea couple of German chicks (I told you -- he doesn't speak any languages!!!!!) and they all took the ferry from Calais to Dover with them arriving at the ferry terminal after public transportation had stopped for the night so he (and they) hunkered down for the night in the waiting area of the ferry. This for my dear, lovely, spoiled American son, is as hard as it gets......I don't think he has ever spent a night (other than camping) in the rough before.
when public transport started runnng he made it into town and met up with my cousin after a couple of false starts.....his quote was ...'I just want to wash my clothes, clean my teeth, take a bath and sleep in a real bed.....' (after all, he HAD roughed it for one night....!Then he got to my cousin's house and found out that he could not do laundry and take a bath at the same time because the hot water wouldn't last........I am not sure to be proud or not that he chose laundry over a bath!!!
He plans to hang out in England til his money runs out - which should be a while as he has endless free rides from my large extended family........we are having such a peaceful time while he is gone, we are debating whether to ensure his money does NOT run out yet.

I think this will be the making of him......

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: GUEST,ibo
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 09:41 AM

I forgot to mention that my brothers five year old son has just been granted a trip to the moon,the launch will be as soon as i can purchase a decent pair of Dr Martin boots.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: GUEST,sinky
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 09:24 AM

There is a great clip on funny american series where successful writer dad is having words with his wife about not saving for their three year olds twins college fund.She says,what if they want to go to harvard,then it shows kid chewing on his shoe.Moral is,let your kids be what they want to be.PUSHY parents are an absolute nightmare,and terrible bores.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: jacqui.c
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 07:28 AM

Or you would be held captive for three days hearing all the gory details and being shown every available photo. I know - I AM that Grandma!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: kendall
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 07:23 AM

Around here we have people with the following bumper sticker:
ASK ME ABOUT MY GRANDCHILDREN.

Now, picture this: You walk up to the driver and ask about her/his grandchildren, what is likely to happen?

YOU WOULD BE ARRESTED!!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 12:58 AM

Hmmm...these days I brag more about my grandson, Morgan,who lives here, than I do my kids or the twin grandsons back East whom I haven't see in forever.:-) It's been fun to read of everyone's accomplishments.

All three of my kids were very intelligent and very bored in school...in school before gifted and talented programs came about. Son dropped out of high school, kicked around, got some hard knocks, went on to get a very high paying job and owning two houses, new car, etc. Split with his partner after something like thirteen years, basically had a nervous breakdown and had some serious wake-up calls. Today, he is with a new partner, a very lovely and loving woman and he is back at a very good paying job, digging his way out of debt and much happier. Do I wish he'd gone on to college? Yes, and it could still happen, but I'm not holding my breath. Still I am very proud of him. He left home at 17 and has come a long way. He consistently shows me up as a good influence of some sort as he is well-mannered, personable, very well-read and a great conversationalist.

My oldest daughter should have been in an arts school; that was mostly her only interest and she's very talented in it. She did graduate from high school which was a relief because she too suffered from boredom and lack of challenge. She's gone through a lot since those days. Just getting divorced after thirteen years (hmm...I'm sensing a pattern with my kids!), doing a bang-up job raising her sons and starting a new career. Her new beau is in college and wants her to go. I am encouraging her to do so as much as possible, but I think she'd do better, still, at an arts institute. I am very proud of her, esp. as she is the one who has lived so far away all these years of stress, etc.

The youngest child, a daughter, went through school with dyslexia and the audio equivalent of photographic memory. She made the honour roll every time and coasted through honours classes in high school because they were too easy. She got all kinds of scholarships to go to college, went for two years, made the dean's list each time, then didn't finish her criminal justice degree. She happened into a good paying job, much like her mom, brother, and sister and she's made a good career out of it, owning her own home for awhile and doing well. Having her son, Morgan, put a ringer in things for awhile, but she's back on track and tomorrow she is buying a house from us and she also has a new beau.

I'll spare you the proud grandma bits for now...suffice it to say he follows in the gifted and talented footsteps of his family and these days the teachers and schools recognise it and he is having a blast. Oh, and he's getting a great education in folk music as well as other music!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 12:30 AM

Love this thread.......I am happy to say that at 2 all of mine were prepping for being newsreaders on BBC2 AND getting ready for both Yale AND Harvard....AND of course, Oxford and Cambridge!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 03:16 PM

Lol!

As it happens she didn't manage to get a 'taste'. She went with a friend and her mother and they needed a parent-signed consent form so she didn't get to do it. shame.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Amos
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 02:44 PM

Lynne:

How do you adjudicate the flavor of various kayaks, then? Body, aroma, breeding, aftertaste? Don't the little splinters get stuck in your teeth? Where do they do this kayak tasting, anyway? I think the New York Times would be interested.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 12:06 PM

Lol!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: GUEST,ibo
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 08:19 AM

my two year old girl has just graduated from cambridge,and will be reading the news on bbc if we can get the dummy out of her mouth long enough

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 07:21 AM

One of my little darlings has signed up for an archery course and the other has gone to a kayaking taster session. They're both madly learning songs for Sidmouth, though Shady is devastated because she won't be able to go to LNE as we can't afford tickets

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Crystal
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 03:46 AM

Many many congrats to all junior Mudcatters!
Have the summer off and visit festivals/ dance/ sing/ do crazy stuff (like seeing how long you can stand on your head!).

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 03:15 AM

Trubrit, I totally agree with your comment about the 'system' thinking that everyone must have an academic education being all wrong. What ALL the kids need is help to find what they CAN do and what it is that will make them happy.

Your son sounds like a lovely boy and I'm sure that with your help he will find that.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 03:12 AM

There is a similar problem with the very bright kids too. Fortunately schools in England have finally realized that what they call the "Gifted and talented" also have special needs and require extra attention. It used to be a sad fact that a lot of very bright kids also ended up in jails and correctional facilities etc because the education system, geared up for the 'average' child, lost their interest as early as primary school and the kids then started to become disruptive. It often led to kids opting themselves out of the system altogether and never managing to achieve anything.

It was something that worried me as my kids went into primary school so I spent a lot of Richard's primary years at school telling them what I thought they should be doing. I got very well known at school and ended up becoming a school governor! Meanwhile, the 'family of schools' of which ours is part, started a club for the gifted and talented every Friday after school among other activities directed at them. It was too late for Richard who had left by the time it started, though the school had done very well by him anyway. Shady has loved the club (Tiptops) and has had the opportunity to do all sorts of things in science and maths that she wouldn't otherwise have done.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 11:09 PM

Here, where I live, severely LD kids--kids who need a one-on-one aide are funded to the tune of about $18,000. A FT aide costs about $22,000, and getting kids that coding is a nightmare of hoops, dances and obstacles. It is all a bad dream. Been there, done that. Got the tears on my t-shirt to prove it.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 10:49 PM

Hi Peace -- you are right.....but what you also imply but don't say is ----- is ain't going to happen until we decide that we NEED to find the right way to reach/teach every child.......

Ever looked at the statistics of the number of LD kids in jail, correctional facilities, half way houses etc?????? I remember being told in all seriousness that my son would do better if he were 'difficult" -- one of my daughter's friends threw a chair at a teacher and the result was he got private tuition at home for a semester. But my son knows if he threw a chair at a teacher, I would MURDER all 6'2" of him so he didn't do it......

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 10:39 PM

So often what are refreed to as learning disabilities are really ways for systems to say, "We have not yet found the right way to reach/teach this child."

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 10:35 PM

MBSLynne - rereading this thread - I realized I had missed your comment about giving our son the gift of travel. It is so funny -- he calls us every few days to report in.....last check in was from Amsterdam at 1.00 am their time and 8 pm our time - we were sitting on the back deck with our older girl and her boyfriend when he called -- he was absolutely stoned and you know -- at 18 in a country where dope and drinking are legal -- that is fine with me......I think he is too well grounded to sink into addiction nor do I believe that marijuana leads automatically to serious drugs (come on, guys -- didn't we all get high whether via MJ or alcohol when we were that age???). He has learnt it would be useful if he could speak a little Spanish or French, he has learned that other places treat late teenagers like adults -- he has learnt that if he leaves his Eurorail pass in the Youth Hostel three miles away, and gets to the station without he that HE -- only him -- has to go back and get it - toting a heavy back pack all the way...........the young man is growing up and we hear it in his voice in every phone call home.....he paid $3.5 (the equivalent) for a coke -- I think that is one hell of a lesson!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 10:25 PM

This is a wonderful thread. Barry, I think our sons have much in common -- some time, if I have the energy and strength - I will recount my son's struggles with being LD from the day we were told by a private specialist that if we didn't get him out of the public school system it was ALL OVER because he was so very LD. So we remortgaged our house and spend his college fund while he was in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade for him to go to a special school for LD kids -- AND NOW HE CAN READ......

He's a good kid -- got a great work ethic -- his father and I love him and his sisters adore him which must say something --- there truly IS more than one way to learn.

But let's not think for a minute the money will go to having small classes where LD kids can learn at their own pace as can gifted kids -- we are all much too busy sending tax dollars to Iraq.......(sorry, couldn't help it).

Who in God's name do 'they' think is going to fix their toilets, build their decks, make their lights work - if we make the ONLY acceptable path to be academic.......

Me - I hope Nick becomes a chef.....I LOVE to eat!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 07:57 PM

Oh dear... Pixie has a lot of living up to her reputation to do... Limpit has named her as an influence in the past!

Perhaps a junior gathering might not be such a good idea....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 01:34 PM

Yes, Pixie has been one of Shady's role models for some time now!

I think another thing the folk scene does for the kids is allow them to mix with all ages on the same level. My kids have friends aged from single digits up to 70s. We don't tend to have much generation gap in the folk scene so the kids learn the proper way how to relate to adults and how to behave when amongst them.

Well done Izzy...that is fantastic, though I'm green with envy because RADA was one of my dreams. Interestingly, it's one of the things Richard has thought of trying for too!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 01:19 PM

I think Lynne may be right about the folk scene. It certainly give them the confidence to mix with people of all ages and makes them perhaps more open minded because they are not simply following the latest trend. And Morty if mine turn out like PoD I'd be very happy!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: kendall
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 07:09 AM

Liz, that's fabulous news. Now you can stop picking on her.

Few things in life are as rewarding as an exceptional child. I was blessed with three of them. As you know, one of them, Becca72 is a mudcatter.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Morticia
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 06:19 AM

Congrats to all our junior catters, what a wonderful bunch! I couldn't be more proud of all of them.

In my experience, bright, funny folk babies turn out like PixieofDoom, which is pretty damn great in my book.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: alanabit
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 05:59 AM

Forgot to mention Jeanie too. That's smashing news. Did Mum help a little with the preparation?

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: alanabit
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 05:58 AM

Lovely stuff from Barry Finn, Trubrit and Dinavan. It's making my day!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 04:59 AM

Richard - spelling.... I got English 'A' level nearly 20 years ago and I'm very, very tired due to a frozen shoulder that keeps me awake. I'm allowed a spelling error occasionally! However... if we're going to be pedantic, discrete means 'separate' and I can only count one toe at a time.

Barry - if personal development was graded the same way as maths and science, Limpit would be further down the list and your children way at the top with all 5s... It's impossible to test a child's personal development except by experiencing life with that child. I'm proud of Limpit for getting all 5s, because as MBSLynne says, it shows she's using her gifts rather than being lazy, but if I had to mark her for consideration, forthrightness and honesty, she'd be just scraping through with a 3, on a good day. We're going to work on that this summer.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Jeanie
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 04:54 AM

Congratulations to everyone on this thread !

Here's news now from another proud mum: My daughter Izzy has been accepted to train at RADA - notoriously difficult to get into - and I'm so delighted for her.

What makes me proudest of all is to have seen her emerge from all kinds of personal struggles to become the happy, hopeful, confident young woman she is today. She's a kind and lovely person who knows that being kind and loving is what counts the most, wherever and whenever. Yay, Izzy !

- jeanie :)

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 03:38 AM

Well yes....academic achievement is great but it isn't the only way that our kids can make us proud. Each one has their own strengths and I think the whole point, probably, is that we are proud when they take their own strengths and make the best they can of them. I would be much less than proud if either of my very bright children didn't work and use the brains they have been gifted with and just sat around and expected it all to come to them. That's what I did.

Trubrit, I think you've probably given your child the best education possible. There's nothing like travelling and seeing the world to give you a proper sense of your own place in it.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Barry Finn
Date: 16 Jul 07 - 02:35 AM

Well we don't have any geniuses here though they've been surrounded by them in school all they're lives, Christ have we heard about it too. I guess some of it must've rubbed off & we thanked them all cause it must've helped, they both graduated High School with one in college & another accepted & on his way. Well, anyway my daughter she turned out to be a pretty likable kid, she hung out with geeks & the cool kids & never put up with any gossip about or between her buds & walked off if some one pushed her into taking sides, she helped out with the underdogs & made newbies feel welcomed, orginized parties & proms so that eveyone was a king & a queen. She's the life of the party & she tries to share the fun & the brightness with all her chums. On the other hand our LD son had to fight evey fucking day of his life. Some thought he was lazy others said stupid & others still blamed us. He got big & strong & took martial arts & that took care of the bulling issues & his big sister used her pull & bron (she took martial arts too) to help him along his way but he's a loyal & generous friend to a fault & I wish I could say that I had his morals & honesty, turns out that this summer he's had his 1st real job & his work ethic is as sharp as his parents. Yup they're grades weren't great, some times even rotten but I can see that I'm gonna be real proud of my two, they'll both be folks that others will be happy to have as adult friends & they probably won't save the world but they're the kind that'll do their little bit to make the small world they live in a little better for eveyone else around them. The grades, when they're older,,,,,as long as they're happy with their lives I can die a,,,,,,

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 11:16 PM

EEEEEEEEEEk - I am an English major (honestly -- summa cum laude ) -- I KNOW better!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:56 PM

OOps - I, an English major, should (and do) no better......!!!! - he can stay FREE......

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:53 PM

mmario, I've never met any of them, but feel the same.

Good on 'em all

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:51 PM

"utter solecism."

And what's THAT? The adjective is not necessary. Wordiness to no purpose.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:47 PM

er --"free", not "for free" which is surely an utter solecism.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Peace
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:46 PM

What a beautiful post.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:40 PM

Well - my 'baby (18 years olf and 6'2") is learning disabled (like his mother in some subjects) and absolutely despised school. He pulled himself together wonderfully and managed to graduate high school -- everyone asks what his plans are and we (and he) say -- NONE-- we sent him off on a trip to Europe starting in England with my sister, then to Italy, then Switzerland, then Germany, now Amsterdam (God help us -- 'mum -- thay have pot menus in the coffee shops') then to Denmark and back to England where he has a hundred places he can stay for free...........

WE ARE SO PROUD OF HIM....not even worrying about next steps at this point.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MMario
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 10:35 PM

I think it says something about this wierd wonderful internet community of ours that I am sitting here bursting with pride over the accomplishments of several children who have "done good" -- and I've only met one of them.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: GUEST,dianavan
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 09:21 PM

Report cards are a topic in themselves.

Numeracy? The term is a bit wierd. Math requires more than an understanding of numbers, but whatever... I think the term was coined to coincide with literacy.

Have any of you rcvd. the odd comment, "minimally meets grade level expectations." or "fully meets grade level expectations?" As far as I'm concerned you either meet the expectation or not. Some may even exceed but "minimally meet"? What does that mean? Whats the difference between "meets" and "fully meets"? Ugh...

This is the kind of mumbo jumbo you get when politicians talk about teacher accountability.

I wish we'd go back to satisfactory or unsatisfactory in the primary grades with separate categories for effort and citizenship which I think are more important than academic standings. It would give more time to teach and require fewer fine lines.

Anyway, congratulations to all the little wiz kids. I hope they make you proud. My kids still make me proud and they are 30+. My baby is the consultant for the green renovation of the U.N. bldg. in N.Y. At this point we're not sure if it will ever happen but, heh, its nice to know she has something to contribute.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: jacqui.c
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 05:53 PM

We have some brilliant up and comings it seems! Well done to all of them and commendations to their parents for obviously putting in the effort to help them achieve these results.

OK, my kids are all grown up and hitting middle age but I'm going to boast about the apple of my eye, my grandson. His first school report came in the other day and, in literacy, numeracy and science he is working 'above the year one national expectations'. He gets a glowing report from his teacher and all As and Bs in each subject for Effort and Progress. In all subjects he is either working at or above the expected level.

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 02:07 PM

Well done Phoebe, Shady and Maddie!!

Love

Khatt x

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 01:06 PM

Obviously does these kids good to be brought up in the folk ethos!

Interesting that Shady considers her school friends to be "Just my school friends" while the ones who are her "Best friends" are the ones she only sees a couple of times a year like Maddie. Pity she has only managed to meet Limpit once.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Boasting about my child!
From: Nancy King
Date: 15 Jul 07 - 12:00 PM

"A true English eccentric" -- I love it! Congratulations to all!

Nancy