Times that your kids have outsmarted you / called your bluff
Discussion
Here is one to kick start this:
A couple of years ago my boy, who was then 9 went on and on and on about wanting a BMX, not an unreasonable request but we had much expenditure at the time and buying a BMX was (he already had a bike) long way down our list of priorities, you know water bill, car insurances and all the rest plus a series of domestic white good suicides and premature deaths in a short space of time hadn't really contributed to the potential success of his request.
He decided he wanted Giro brakes (yes I had to look it up) and pegs and all the rest.
Anyway, I had a look on flea bay as you do over a few weeks and satisfied myself that for a sensible budget and close to home we were not going to find one any time soon.
So Mrs Kellys Hero and I decided to give him some scope for learning PC skills, the value of money and patience and we approached him with this solution:
"Have a look on E Bay for a BMX, it must be around £50, have all the bits you want, and be no more than 10 miles away. Oh and a buy it now, we are not messing around with auctions.. it may take a while but if you fulfill those criteria you can have a BMX.."
With that Mrs Kellys Hero and I retired to the kitchen feeling overly chuffed that we had bought some time and were teaching him a valuable lesson in patience, research and the real world, oh how smug we felt..
Fast forward 5 mins
"Found one!" "Buy it Now, £50, Gyro brakes and pegs, in Taunton (10 miles away), 6 months old and kept indoors, can we go and get it?,,,"
>DOH< problem is, he had met the criteria exactly, he had held up his end of the deal to the letter, we could not really then start making excuses as that teaches an entirely new set of unwanted bench marks. And in fairness it looked immaculate.
An hour later I was making space for a BMX in the garage. On the positive he has used it to death, so its not been wasted...
So over to the PH collective....
A couple of years ago my boy, who was then 9 went on and on and on about wanting a BMX, not an unreasonable request but we had much expenditure at the time and buying a BMX was (he already had a bike) long way down our list of priorities, you know water bill, car insurances and all the rest plus a series of domestic white good suicides and premature deaths in a short space of time hadn't really contributed to the potential success of his request.
He decided he wanted Giro brakes (yes I had to look it up) and pegs and all the rest.
Anyway, I had a look on flea bay as you do over a few weeks and satisfied myself that for a sensible budget and close to home we were not going to find one any time soon.
So Mrs Kellys Hero and I decided to give him some scope for learning PC skills, the value of money and patience and we approached him with this solution:
"Have a look on E Bay for a BMX, it must be around £50, have all the bits you want, and be no more than 10 miles away. Oh and a buy it now, we are not messing around with auctions.. it may take a while but if you fulfill those criteria you can have a BMX.."
With that Mrs Kellys Hero and I retired to the kitchen feeling overly chuffed that we had bought some time and were teaching him a valuable lesson in patience, research and the real world, oh how smug we felt..
Fast forward 5 mins
"Found one!" "Buy it Now, £50, Gyro brakes and pegs, in Taunton (10 miles away), 6 months old and kept indoors, can we go and get it?,,,"
>DOH< problem is, he had met the criteria exactly, he had held up his end of the deal to the letter, we could not really then start making excuses as that teaches an entirely new set of unwanted bench marks. And in fairness it looked immaculate.
An hour later I was making space for a BMX in the garage. On the positive he has used it to death, so its not been wasted...
So over to the PH collective....
kellys hero said:
>DOH< problem is, he had met the criteria exactly, he had held up his end of the deal to the letter, we could not really then start making excuses as that teaches an entirely new set of unwanted bench marks.
Good for you. 50 quid for teaching your young lad principles is money well spent, I'd say.Eyersey1234 said:
Mrs Eyersey1234 was once trying to get my stepdaughter to eat carrots by saying it was good for her sight and you never see a blind rabbit, to which SD's friend says but the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland wears glasses. Mrs Eyersey didn't know what to say to that.
Me
Mrs Eyersey
Me
Mrs Eyersey
My eldest lad was about 11 and some time into Cadet karting, a lot of which we did at Rye House. We were doing respectably, but on the other hand we weren't winning anything either.
If you know about karting you will understand that grids are decided by order of entry for the first heat, and reverse order for the second. Being Mr Organised, we often had pole for the first heat, and the lad didn't like this very much. There were some quick and very determined kids racing there in those days, a few of whom are household names now. A few were brutes into the bargain.
One day I watched from the other end of the track as the race started and he led the pack into Stadium Bend, the first corner, a long ever tightening right hander. I could see him drop several places as they went round, and finished up about fifth, I think, as they emerged.
When the race ended and we were wheeling the kart back to our pit, I regret to say I was giving him some GBH of the ear hole about allowing himself to be pushed round, it's their job to get round you so don't give up so easily, we're spending a fortune on this and if you are not going to try harder then I don't see the point ... Etc.
He just looked at me and without saying a word pointed at the rims on the kart's wheels. There were chunks knocked out if them the size of ten pence pieces that certainly weren't there before the race. I felt about a foot tall.
I made a promise to myself never to do such a thing again and keep my big trap shut in future, just ask him how he enjoyed the race, and what he needed me to do to the kart. I'm glad to say he taught me such a lesson that day I managed to keep that promise.
If you know about karting you will understand that grids are decided by order of entry for the first heat, and reverse order for the second. Being Mr Organised, we often had pole for the first heat, and the lad didn't like this very much. There were some quick and very determined kids racing there in those days, a few of whom are household names now. A few were brutes into the bargain.
One day I watched from the other end of the track as the race started and he led the pack into Stadium Bend, the first corner, a long ever tightening right hander. I could see him drop several places as they went round, and finished up about fifth, I think, as they emerged.
When the race ended and we were wheeling the kart back to our pit, I regret to say I was giving him some GBH of the ear hole about allowing himself to be pushed round, it's their job to get round you so don't give up so easily, we're spending a fortune on this and if you are not going to try harder then I don't see the point ... Etc.
He just looked at me and without saying a word pointed at the rims on the kart's wheels. There were chunks knocked out if them the size of ten pence pieces that certainly weren't there before the race. I felt about a foot tall.
I made a promise to myself never to do such a thing again and keep my big trap shut in future, just ask him how he enjoyed the race, and what he needed me to do to the kart. I'm glad to say he taught me such a lesson that day I managed to keep that promise.
My 5 year old daughter was nervous about going on her first school trip. I reassured her by saying how much I'd prefer to go on a school trip that go to work, it'd be great fun.
At the end of the day, I went to pick her and her 7 yr old brother from school. One of the teacher's approached me in the playground 'Mr Sinbaddio, your son has a school trip tomorrow and we have no adult males to accompany us, your son said you'd rather go on a school trip than work, so we've put you down as a volunteer......'
At the end of the day, I went to pick her and her 7 yr old brother from school. One of the teacher's approached me in the playground 'Mr Sinbaddio, your son has a school trip tomorrow and we have no adult males to accompany us, your son said you'd rather go on a school trip than work, so we've put you down as a volunteer......'
I've a proper backwards auntie living in Ireland, racist, homophobic, dim witted as well. Never married, not even so much as had a relationship with a man.
Anyway, when the news about George Michael came out we were over there and she said "I don't know why all of these gays are coming out now. They've made their point they should just stop now and be normal." I was about 10 at the time
"Are you jealous because that means less men are there for you to marry?"
My mom slapped me, my dad spat his tea out laughing. The aunt went bright red.
Not sorry.
Anyway, when the news about George Michael came out we were over there and she said "I don't know why all of these gays are coming out now. They've made their point they should just stop now and be normal." I was about 10 at the time
"Are you jealous because that means less men are there for you to marry?"
My mom slapped me, my dad spat his tea out laughing. The aunt went bright red.
Not sorry.
Roofless Toothless said:
I regret to say I was giving him some GBH of the ear hole about allowing himself to be pushed round, it's their job to get round you so don't give up so easily, we're spending a fortune on this and if you are not going to try harder then I don't see the point ... Etc.
He just looked at me and without saying a word pointed at the rims on the kart's wheels. There were chunks knocked out if them the size of ten pence pieces that certainly weren't there before the race. I felt about a foot tall.
I made a promise to myself never to do such a thing again and keep my big trap shut in future, just ask him how he enjoyed the race, and what he needed me to do to the kart. I'm glad to say he taught me such a lesson that day I managed to keep that promise.
Glad for your son that you're learned that particular lesson. The pushy Dad described in the first paragraph really makes me cringe.He just looked at me and without saying a word pointed at the rims on the kart's wheels. There were chunks knocked out if them the size of ten pence pieces that certainly weren't there before the race. I felt about a foot tall.
I made a promise to myself never to do such a thing again and keep my big trap shut in future, just ask him how he enjoyed the race, and what he needed me to do to the kart. I'm glad to say he taught me such a lesson that day I managed to keep that promise.
mcbook said:
Roofless Toothless said:
I regret to say I was giving him some GBH of the ear hole about allowing himself to be pushed round, it's their job to get round you so don't give up so easily, we're spending a fortune on this and if you are not going to try harder then I don't see the point ... Etc.
He just looked at me and without saying a word pointed at the rims on the kart's wheels. There were chunks knocked out if them the size of ten pence pieces that certainly weren't there before the race. I felt about a foot tall.
I made a promise to myself never to do such a thing again and keep my big trap shut in future, just ask him how he enjoyed the race, and what he needed me to do to the kart. I'm glad to say he taught me such a lesson that day I managed to keep that promise.
Glad for your son that you're learned that particular lesson. The pushy Dad described in the first paragraph really makes me cringe.He just looked at me and without saying a word pointed at the rims on the kart's wheels. There were chunks knocked out if them the size of ten pence pieces that certainly weren't there before the race. I felt about a foot tall.
I made a promise to myself never to do such a thing again and keep my big trap shut in future, just ask him how he enjoyed the race, and what he needed me to do to the kart. I'm glad to say he taught me such a lesson that day I managed to keep that promise.
One thing I found out about doing a hazardous sport like that (and remember a fellow Cadet karter was killed at about this time) is that while all father's love their sons, the really lucky ones get to admire them as well. It was a real lesson for me, and I learnt that lesson.
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