You Know Your Child has Grown Again When...

...You teach him how to tie a neck tie.

No more how-to-tie-with-bunny-ears technique for this grown boy.


I shoulda taught him this crap too, why he needs one:



9 yr old will be the recipient of this information when it's his turn.


- - -
Anyhoo, here's a simple way to tie a necktie for boys.



1. Put tie around the nape. Adjust the thin end to hang by/above the belly button. Fat end will be considerably longer.

2. Put fat end over the thin end , then loop under the thin end.

3. Loop it over again, then under (2nd time) but

4. Place the end of the fat end by the top most button of the shirt (by the throat), then pull the fat end out.

5. Thread the fat end down through the horizontal loop and pull down.

6. Adjust.

Deng. That was quite hard to describe. Hope people get it.

Maybe bunny ear knots are easier to understand....

PS. Scanning through guy fashion magazines, we noticed that ties for now are sleeker. When I got Jonesy his tie, the ties with fat ends (those like dad's) are considerably way cheaper than the ties with both slim ends. So, yeah. Guess the sleek ties are more ehmm "acceptable" these days, that's why they're more expensive. I won't be surprised if I'm the last one to know of this bit of fashion news. Just sharing, info might come in handy if you're giving away ties this christmas. ;-)



Liked this post? You can be notified with newest entries, subscribe to MotherFonker Blog

Parenting Hypocrisy?

In my day, I was carefree and wreckless. I didn't get in to TOO much trouble but I had my share of... uhmm "naughtiness". And I sure as hell know (and remember quite well, still, that) I didn't like adults putting boundaries on my whims.

So imagine my horror at my ability to pull a poker face and to ask the "proper" questions expected of a parent the other day.

Jonesy: Mom, may I sleep over at classmate x's after the high school dance?
Motherfnkr: (thoughtful how to pull this one off while being true to myself) *long pause* Classmate X who?
Jonesy: One of my friends in class.... So, can I?
Motherfnkr: *long pause* How many will you be there?
Jonesy: Dunno yet.
Motherfnkr: *all-thinky and shit* Does classmate x have adult supervision at home?
Jonesy: Of course.
Motherfnkr: I see. Remember your last night out? The rule is leaving the landline phone number before you can go.
Jonesy: Yeah, I'm texting now for his phone number. *Slinks away*

I still had many questions and he escaped!

I have this issue with my myself about being too inquisitive about permissions and all, when I myself once upon a time was a.. ehmm... real headache.

But that's just for myself. My deep, dark secret.

For showtime, I am inquisitive and have to have all those numbers just in case.

Just in case he ends up like me. lol.



Liked this post? You can be notified with newest entries, subscribe to MotherFonker Blog

Stuff I Admire from My Son's School

Kids Singing to Parents
Guess who my camera-evading son is...


We went to my son's family day today. Fun.

The School CEO gave a talk to the parents on how the school has buckled up and patterning subjects to Singapore's Math and Science programs. There are a few more jewels in her talk that I appreciate, which I realize I always gain whenever she OR THE OTHER ADMINISTRATORS give a talk.

There are others, but right now here is a list of what I admire about the school's principles in developing the kids. These are things I keep in mind also when raising the boys.

Thrust to improve academics and usual extra-curriculars is a default setting. All schools try that. I don't really care to nitpick the boys' grades, it's just a blessing that the boys' grades are okay and 1 tops class.

Priority to train the kids to also analyze and be resourceful. I bemoan copy-pasting and/ or just memorizing facts. There are some things I do give a shit on, like looking at how the boys' google. You might take google for granted, but I care that the boys know how to organize data and look for shit.

Fun. Lots of activities throughout the year that are fun and actually - gasp!- educational.

Balance on material whims. The school CEO always reminds parents to not give in to all our kids' material whims. They are turning to softies by doing so, she says. I agree.

Encourage kids to be entrepreneurial. There was this 1 event I attended when a school admin was giving an inspirational talk to the kids. She was encouraging the kids to be entrepreneurial for their own pocket money. I was thinking other parents may think it's cheap, but I love how they're opening the kids' minds on this delicate matter so early.

It takes a village. Partnership with parents is for real. It is surprising how parents actually help out in big or small programs. You can see parents sprawled on the floor painting backdrops, cutting papers, etc. with the kids. And we can come for big or small programs, no invites needed. When I was in school parents were only allowed to show up for limited programs. That's baccalaureate mass and graduation (other than the usual parent-teacher conferences) only! With my boys' school, parents who want to partner with the school are more than welcome.

There are others that are quite radical that other parents' may not approve of, but I approve of widening kids' minds to options other than the accepted opinions in the mainstream.

Yeah, I think this school's learning to rock pretty well.


Liked this post? You can be notified with newest entries, subscribe (free) to MotherFonker Blog

You know Your Child has Grown Again When...

... When you wake up in the middle of the night and you hear strains of Flight of the Bumble Bee on keyboard. Teen-ager set the keyboard to "music box" to soften the noise.

I creep out and rap on the door,

"Son, you sound like a horror movie. Go to sleep."

Tinkling classical piece at 1AM can give neighbors the willies, you know. So halloween-y.

I'll know he's grown again when he doesn't stifle the sound anymore and turns to playing a horror-movie pipe organ.



Liked this post? You can be notified with newest entries, subscribe to MotherFonker Blog

My Kid Insists this is his Dad

9-year old insists this guy (an actor) is his dad.




Why?

One night, the tv was on and this guy's show was on.

We were talking about a school requirement that needed his sperm donor's assistance of some kind.

So I said, "Call your dad and tell him."

So he pulled out his cell and started dialling.

Then we heard a ring.

It was the tv show. And this guy pulled out his cell and said, "Hello?"

9-year old got a kick out of it so much, now he keeps on declaring this guy is his real dad.

Crazy...


Liked this post? You can be notified with newest entries, subscribe to MotherFonker Blog

Halloween's Coming Up! What's your Kid Gonna Be?

Year in, year out, it's the usual scenario. I ask smaller bro what he's gonna be for halloween, no answer, ask, no answer, ask until it's tada! Cramming time for halloween costume once again.

This year, I've been pestering him to be a Jabbawockee but he doesn't want to.
He's the type of kid who makes it a point that when he does wear a costume, he will look nice. So that definitely strikes out monsters, gore, funny tights and masked faces.

Two years ago, he wanted to be Harry Potter. So he showed up at my sister's office's treat or trick in a store bought costume - a long, wide sleeved black coat labelled "Wizard Costume". He also wore a shirt, vest and orange tie and black pants.

A rare picture that shows his face :-p

As he passed by the young employees, they did say "Oh, it's Harry Potter."

But as he approached one director for his treat, he was welcomed warmly.

"Hello.... And who might you be? (thinks)

Oh, you must be The Graduate!"

(Hoo boy, wonder why I heard Simon and Garfunkel in my head...)



This year, I asked him what he wanted to be for halloween.

Now he had an immediate answer: "Hali Bote," he said without glancing from the computer monitor.

Hali Bote is Chinese for Harry Potter.

Altogether now: "And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know..."


Oh well, that means I don't have to buy anything this year.

What about your kid? What does your child want to be this halloween?


Liked this post? You can be notified with newest entries, subscribe to MotherFonker Blog