Pure Parents

Question:

> > Well, okay…so I have a few moments of weakness.  I’m not a perfect > dad, but at least I’m here, which is more than I can say for their > mother.  …but that’s another story.  Anyway, I’ve gotta go outside > now and unchain my son from my daughters’ underground dungeon doorway. > He had some food last week, so he shouldn’t be too hungry.  Later > folks!

 > Don’t worry, not all of us thought you were the devil himself!  I also > have three kids, ages 2, 4, and 7.  I’ve felt like putting my for sale sign > up a few times, but of course, I’m joking and it’s a thought for the > moment!  Where’s everyone’s sense of humor, anyway? > T.

A sense of humor would seem a requirement for parenting. I’m glad to see a couple of people here have one. I know a lot of these are serious issues, but I was beginning to wonder about some of the posters. NLS

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I am a firm believer in that our kids are what we make them to be and how >we show them to be that.  It sounds like your kids need a personality >transplant, but I would start looking in the mirror for ways to start >making changes. > This is a gross simplification.  Children are NOT little clones of their > parents.  No matter how much parents may wish to influence the way a > child grows, there are always pther influences.  I’m really tired of > these people who say, "Oh your child shoplifted.  I guess he didn;t have > a good example at home." > Sure the example parents set is a major influence in kids lives, but > kids, especially pre-teens and teens will experiment with things they > know are are contrary to their parents’ value system just to see what it > is like.  Also, I think some kids are more pre-disposed to be aggressive, > lazy, intolerant, slefish, etc than others.  If the parent’s example were > the only thing that controlled a child’s attitude, they all kids in the > same family would turn out the same.  Yet we all know families where > there is one difficult child, or one drug-using child, or one child who > can’t be trusted with the car, yet the other 2 or 3 kids in thefamily are > soberand responsible.  I am really tired of the attitude that it is all > the paren’t fault if kids grow up rotten.  How about kids taking some > responsibility for their action?

I guess we will simply agree to dissagree.  I still be live the Children, especially little children ARE clones of the parents, whether they like it or not.  Sure children end up differently, but I seen too many examples of good parents-good kids and bad parents-bad kids.  I also believe that once children reach their teens (14 and up) my idea does not hold because of the nature of Man to be social, they become "Clones" of their social peers.

Response:

>I Loved your two postings!

  I had had one of those days today and they gave me laugh!      Thanks for the fun

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have three rotten, undeserving, wasteful , obnoxious, and subversive >kids, (aged 12, 11, and 9) for sale to the party who is willing to >accept the least payment to take them.  No reasonable offers refused. >Please HURRY!!!! > HA HA HA HA HA HA > Actually, I am a really good parent and father.  However, I can have a > rather twisted sense of humor at times.  I guess I can’t blame y’all > for posting those flames since, after all, you don’t know me or my > kids except based on what you read on my post.  Okay, just so you know > that a book can’t be judged by its cover, I am a Boy Scout leader and > merit badge counselor in my 12-year-old son’s troop, with which I have > gone on seven out of the last eight, plus the one-week summer camp. > He is a computer buff and we are converting his 386 into a Pentium > together (I know, not cost effective…But what the hell?) > My 11-year-old daughter is quite a prodigy and is extremely > strong-willed and verbally articulate, which can be a problem > sometimes.  Nevertheless, I would never want to break down her strong > will because I consider it to be a positive attribute, not a negative > one.  Thus, I am trying to help her to hone and focus that powerful > personality of her’s.  So I bought her a book on political and social > activism, and now she has declared war (in a legal and effective > manner) on her school district’s school board because there is no rule > that prohibits school bus drivers from smoking in front of students > and blowing smoke on them while the bus is parked at the school > awaiting students at the end of the day.  She is on a letter-writing > campaign to as many local papers as she can find.  Last week, I took > the day off from work (I’m a CPA) to take her to a local courthouse to > watch attorneys do their stuff because she wants to be a lawyer. > My 9-year-old daughter is the most athletically inclined person in the > family, but she is also quite brilliant.  She is quite the opposite of > her older sister in that she tends to be quite shy and sometimes lacks > confidence, which often results in some fighting between her and her > older sister.  As a way to alleviate this problem, I enrolled her and > myself in a Tae Kwon Do school, where we both take classes together > three times a week.  She is about to get her yellow belt.  I’m about > to drop dead, but I think I might make it and may even get that yellow > belt myself. > As you can see, my kids take up quite a bit of my time, but I never > complain.  I love them dearly, but sometimes….  Just to let you > understand the post, my kids were haveing a particularly abrasive time > with one another, so I had to break the tense mood of the moment.  I > was sitting at the computer when my middle daughter (you know, the > political activist) smacked her brother.  Her brother kicked her, and > my youngest threw her water at them both.  I was a bit at the end of > my rope when I said something uncharacteristic like, "You’d better cut > that out!"  My l’il activist answered, "What are you going to do about > it Daddy?"  I then told them that I would put them up for sale on the > internet, which they found so amusing that they helped me write the > post.  It was my 11-year-old who coined the term, "subversive" to > describe their behavior.  Well, how could we go through all of that > effort and not hit the "send" button?  Anyway, we all got a great big > laugh over the whole thing…until I got all of the nasty e-mail. > Well, okay…so I have a few moments of weakness.  I’m not a perfect > dad, but at least I’m here, which is more than I can say for their > mother.  …but that’s another story.  Anyway, I’ve gotta go outside > now and unchain my son from my daughters’ underground dungeon doorway. > He had some food last week, so he shouldn’t be too hungry.  Later > folks! > Don’t worry, not all of us thought you were the devil himself!  I also

have three kids, ages 2, 4, and 7.  I’ve felt like putting my for sale sign up a few times, but of course, I’m joking and it’s a thought for the moment!  Where’s everyone’s sense of humor, anyway? T.

Response:

explanation. Oh that’s too precious!  You sound like you have wonderful children, and you sound like a really involved and excellent Father!  I originally thought your For Sale message was a troll, but since I’m brand new to the group, I decided (wisely, it turns out) to let the regulars deal with you. After reading your beautiful explanation, I feel like nominating you for Dad of the Year.  Of course, you wouldn’t win, because my husband would beat you out, but at least you could get second place… Great job, Easy!  And wish your little lawyer good luck for me. Val