Advice If Possible About 10-year-olds

[seonai]

Don't remember if there is a family forum so popping this here in the first instance. My son is a wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful boy - most of the time - but he has this sort of 'monster' that escapes when he is not getting his way (this is a recent thing) and I am personally finding it very hard to cope with. My husband is not his father so there are issues there about discipline etc. On the whole hubby sits back. But I just wondered if there was anyone out there who have this age group or have had, and can offer advice please. I am so tired saying, "Please don't play with sharp knives", "Please don't climb to the top of that tall tree," be careful on the road with the bike"........

And then other times it's all the "Mum I love you SOOOO much....."

Any offers or laughs welcome, I find that half the day is actually depressing as opposed to being fun. We have a great balance - the other half is fab and we go for ice creams and have a laugh and sing together But I'd rather it was 25% hard - 75% good.

Edited April 8, 2006 by seonai

[Donz]

Get the wooden spoon out.

Usually goes the trick

[Ijustwannateach]

I've had friends with children (or planning to have children) that they were considering leaving Thailand, or that they were glad their children were girls, because of the way boys are spoiled here (even more than children in general).

Was your child's mother Thai? Find out if she was spoiling him as is typical. Find out if his Thai aunties spoil him. His friends are quite likely all spoiled, and if he is in a typical school here there will be little discipline and few consequences and no way to fail- so you are fighting an uphill battle, if a necessary one. What's done to the children is done to the nation- and I fear the harvest of those consequences in the next 10-20 years or so.

"Steven"

[ColPyat]

Don't remember if there is a family forum so popping this here in the first instance. My son is a wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful boy - most of the time - but he has this sort of 'monster' that escapes when he is not getting his way (this is a recent thing) and I am personally finding it very hard to cope with. My husband is not his father so there are issues there about discipline etc. On the whole hubby sits back. But I just wondered if there was anyone out there who have this age group or have had, and can offer advice please. I am so tired saying, "Please don't play with sharp knives", "Please don't climb to the top of that tall tree," be careful on the road with the bike"........

And then other times it's all the "Mum I love you SOOOO much....."

Any offers or laughs welcome, I find that half the day is actually depressing as opposed to being fun. We have a great balance - the other half is fab and we go for ice creams and have a laugh and sing together But I'd rather it was 25% hard - 75% good.

Maybe, at the right moment, you should don't use the "please", but be a bit sterner. And, if reasoning will not achiece the desired result, take, for example, the bike away for a week or so. And be hard, especially when the "Mom, i love you..." part comes. Kids ain't stupid...

[Farma]

My lad went through a similar stage. He was uncontrollable one minute and all loving the next. I was at wits end until it struck me his unruly behavior followed him either eating or drinking anything with chocolate or high sugar content. I weaned him off these and he settled down a lot compared to before.

Don’t think he’s a little angel, he still plays with knives, climbs trees and sides his bike on the road, what boys don’t at that age.

[TAWP]

Don't just tell him to not do something bad, tell him WHY.

Kids will ignore any rules they cannot understand if they are in the way of fun.

[chuchok]

Personally, I like the idea of giving a kid a wee wack every time they cross the line, however in I am a lillte on the soft side to do this.

TV rules over here.So does the off button when kids put their foot out of line.My system works like this

1) kid being a smartarse That's TV for the rest of the day gone

2) Arguement about TV..another day

3)more arguement about TV two more days

4)Ditto

5)Ditto

The trick is NOT to give in,ever.IMO rules should be set in stone.

Above works for me anyway.

[Boo]

The boy IS seonai's son, she is the biological mother, so there is no thai mother spoiling him.

Seonai this is a normal thing for kids but as the sole parent you can't be his best friend of even his friend. You can be fun mum on occasion but rules have to be established & followed & if that makes you unpopular then thats what needs to be so if you thinnk he is going too far, TELL him not to do it don't ASK.

That said boys do tend to be more aggresive than girls though & climbing trees, playing with sticks etc are normal boy behaviour. As long as he isn't putting himself in grave danger then a few cuts & bumps are good for a kid. I had my own drawer at the local childrens hospital & was interviewed by social services because I broke so many bones playing with the neighbourhood kids (I was a tomboy). Rollerskating, BMXing, climbing trees, skateboarding, we even used to ties each others arms & legs together behind our backs & roll each other down the hill for fun! (we weren't wealthy kids you know ) I had 2 dislocated elbows, broken wrists, 2 broken legs & a fractured skull before age 12 but I grew out of it when I descovered boy at 13 & he will calm down too but don't mollcoddle him too much he needs to get hurt to know he's not immortal

He may be craving a father figure though so why not speak to your husband about playing a more active role in his step sons life, take him fishing, play footy with him?

[Ijustwannateach]

The boy IS seonai's son, she is the biological mother, so there is no thai mother spoiling him.

Oops, ok- I got confused.

[Patex]

seonai,

YOU, as his mother, have to be the hard hand to him!

His stepfather does good just to sit back, everything else would be very thin ice for him to walk on. Ask yourself how you would feel, seeing him punish your child... Be a severe mother, it will be good for your child and your married life.

Bike/knifes/trees? Believe me, you have no real problems .

Recently you wrote you stay in an intellectual not so challenging area... not the best conditions to raise a child . Ever thought about a boarding- school?

Patex

[mark45y]

The boy IS seonai's son, she is the biological mother, so there is no thai mother spoiling him.

Seonai this is a normal thing for kids but as the sole parent you can't be his best friend of even his friend. You can be fun mum on occasion but rules have to be established & followed & if that makes you unpopular then thats what needs to be so if you thinnk he is going too far, TELL him not to do it don't ASK.

That said boys do tend to be more aggresive than girls though & climbing trees, playing with sticks etc are normal boy behaviour. As long as he isn't putting himself in grave danger then a few cuts & bumps are good for a kid. I had my own drawer at the local childrens hospital & was interviewed by social services because I broke so many bones playing with the neighbourhood kids (I was a tomboy). Rollerskating, BMXing, climbing trees, skateboarding, we even used to ties each others arms & legs together behind our backs & roll each other down the hill for fun! (we weren't wealthy kids you know ) I had 2 dislocated elbows, broken wrists, 2 broken legs & a fractured skull before age 12 but I grew out of it when I descovered boy at 13 & he will calm down too but don't mollcoddle him too much he needs to get hurt to know he's not immortal

He may be craving a father figure though so why not speak to your husband about playing a more active role in his step sons life, take him fishing, play footy with him?

Boo, I think it is a rare occasion that I completely agree with you but in this I think you show great wisdom.

I had a stepson with the same problem. His mother spoiled him rotten because she felt sorry for him because of the divorce. I stepped back and let her handle the discipline because he was only my stepson. Later when he was sixteen he began working for me and we became close friends. But it was too late.

He dropped out of High School, totaled three cars, got a young woman pregnant and did some time in jail because he drove repeatedly on a revoked license. His friends were trash and they even robbed my business one day.

I should have stepped in at a much younger age spending a lot more time with him and hoping that we bonded sooner.

I should have supervised his friends instead of his mother because she was naïve.

I should have provided discipline from a male point of view which is harsher in some things and softer in others because I understand boys.

What I mean is, I would let him climb the tree, and show him how to use a knife safely but if he was ever disrespectful to his mother he would be in for some major problems. I would never have allowed him to drop out of school or do any underage drinking as his mother did. I would have kept a much closer reign on him because he showed tendencies toward violence at an early age.

When he got angry once he put his fist through the wall (he was a strong kid) I would have not tolerated behavior like that.

I feel bad about the whole thing. I should have helped (even though it his mother told me repeatedly my help was not wanted). I should have stood my ground and made it a condition of our marriage.

[mark45y]

I have never hit one of my children (I have 5). We used the TV thing a lot once I even ripped the cable connection out of the wall (I wasn‘t angry just putting on a show of force). I locked up all of the toys once for a few days.

The Santa Clause phone was good when they were younger. I had a guy at work who had a real deep voice. I would call the North Pole and he would tell them things like, if you bite your sister one more time I will not come to your house this Christmas.

As teens I tried the long rational conversations but finally just took the girls to the doctor and got them both on birth control pills.

We tried the good parent bad parent thing but without success and the wait till your father comes home but it did not work very well.

My second wife was a kick boxer and our daughters both had black belts. There were times I really wanted to sell tickets to the fights. I was always amazed that their mom in her late 40’s could still wipe the floor with two professionally trained teen martial artists. And they weren’t holding anything back except I made the girls wear their protective head and chest gear.

In case you are wondering the girls (14 & 17) wanted to get a tattoo It was a winner take all fight with 1 minute rounds. The other big ones were about nose piercing and boyfriends

They did have their humorous aspects. The one child after the boyfriend fight came to me tearfully and said what do I tell my boyfriend? She was crying her little eyes out. I said you tell him “I can’t go out with you any more because my mother beat the cra* out of me and if I see you she will do it again.”

Edited April 8, 2006 by mark45y

[HarryHerb]

Don't remember if there is a family forum so popping this here in the first instance. My son is a wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful boy - most of the time - but he has this sort of 'monster' that escapes when he is not getting his way (this is a recent thing) and I am personally finding it very hard to cope with. My husband is not his father so there are issues there about discipline etc. On the whole hubby sits back. But I just wondered if there was anyone out there who have this age group or have had, and can offer advice please. I am so tired saying, "Please don't play with sharp knives", "Please don't climb to the top of that tall tree," be careful on the road with the bike"........

And then other times it's all the "Mum I love you SOOOO much....."

Any offers or laughs welcome, I find that half the day is actually depressing as opposed to being fun. We have a great balance - the other half is fab and we go for ice creams and have a laugh and sing together But I'd rather it was 25% hard - 75% good.

All sounds like pretty normal boy behaviour. I found the following psychological explanation for it online:

"Your child is trying to spread his wings a little bit for the first time. He will constantly waver between asserting his independence and seeking your approval. He will become frustrated trying to do things for himself too soon. He will not allow you to help, although he may need your assistance. He will probably bite off more than he can chew in his quest to take charge of his life. This is an exasperating experience for you as you walk the fine line between encouraging him to be self-reliant and laying down the law."

Not sure if this will actually help you to deal with the exasperation, however! I think your husband's role is key - as outlined by the good advice given above - and you may find intervention from him, although it may be resented at first, will eventually work.

And if all else fails, I advise the following course of action:

[LaoPo]

Don't remember if there is a family forum so popping this here in the first instance. My son is a wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful boy - most of the time -

but he has this sort of 'monster' that escapes when he is not getting his way

(this is a recent thing) and I am personally finding it very hard to cope with. My husband is not his father so there are issues there about discipline etc.

On the whole hubby sits back.

But I just wondered if there was anyone out there who have this age group or have had, and can offer advice please. I am so tired saying, "Please don't play with sharp knives", "Please don't climb to the top of that tall tree," be careful on the road with the bike"........

1. children are exploring their limits....always...and at all times; "how far can 'I' go...."

2. set strict rules; stop saying 'please' and also 'repeatingly saying this-and-that' is not heard anymore by him; he crossed your standards a long time ago already.

3. Talk to your hubby; very important! Your boy sensed already that he sits back and 'doesn't have to 'pay respect' (to stepfather). Your hubby (in this case) has to follow your decisions and set-rules.

4. Respect to you and hubby (even if he is the stepfather) is extremely important.

It's you who has to change it and set the rules.

success!

ps: I'm not sure about this, but did you have him tested about ADHD? Could be a mild form.

LaoPo

Edited April 8, 2006 by LaoPo

[Nawtilus]

Discipline can be really hard on the parents I sent my little boy to his room when he was bad, he did not like to be alone. He would really cry a lot and I would say to him 'ok you stay in there until you have thought about what you just did ok' 'ok' through tears and as I closed the doors he would yell 'daddy I finished thinking now'. This is when he was 3yo, he 4yo now and has not been sent to his room for a long time, the threat of it brings him around quick smart.

One time I sent him to his room, he sat down on his bed and as I went to walk out, he looked up at me and said 'daddy sit down' as he patted the bed next to him and says 'I want to talk to you about it ok'

I mean what can you do when the cutest little thing looks up at you and says stuff like that all teary and sobbing.

[shadowy]

Does every one have that problem with the dam t.v...i dunno kids.

I take the card out now , other wise dad will let him watch it when i am at work .

[backflip]

"but he has this sort of 'monster' that escapes when he is not getting his way"

Sounds normal to me...especially for parents that can't parent.

[Sheryl]

That last comment was uncalled for, I think.

Seonai, I suggest a middle path. Loosen up a bit about behavior that isn't really out of the norm for a 10 year old boy, even if it gives mom grey hairs (tree climbing etc); he does need to experiment a bit and get a few bumps, scratches, maybe even a fracture (most boys do at some point or other), and if you try to impose a level of caution that is too confining he'll reject everything you say.

But on the other hand, for the things that are really clearly beyong the plae -- like playing with knives, or being disrespectful to you -- be frim and don't say please, make it a calm but clear order with consequences if ignored. And follow through, whether it is by banning TV for a week or whatever. But do this only for the really critical things.

You might also want to talk with him about how he feels when he doesn't get his way and the need to find ways to handle frustration. And also find out if there are some reasons for his rwaction (for example, is he worrying about the other kids thinking he's a wimp?)

If he continues to have problems with temper control despite all these measures, and if he is also having trouble payingh attention and following instructions at school, then yes, ADD might be worth considering. But if he's able to concentrate on his schoolwork and there are no bif behavior problems reported by his teachers then it's not likely.

Good luck. I'll spare you my tale of horror dealing with 4 adopted teenage kids...except to say that it's worth establishing discipline now.

[kat]

The boy IS seonai's son, she is the biological mother, so there is no thai mother spoiling him.

Seonai this is a normal thing for kids but as the sole parent you can't be his best friend of even his friend. You can be fun mum on occasion but rules have to be established & followed & if that makes you unpopular then thats what needs to be so if you thinnk he is going too far, TELL him not to do it don't ASK.

That said boys do tend to be more aggresive than girls though & climbing trees, playing with sticks etc are normal boy behaviour. As long as he isn't putting himself in grave danger then a few cuts & bumps are good for a kid. I had my own drawer at the local childrens hospital & was interviewed by social services because I broke so many bones playing with the neighbourhood kids (I was a tomboy). Rollerskating, BMXing, climbing trees, skateboarding, we even used to ties each others arms & legs together behind our backs & roll each other down the hill for fun! (we weren't wealthy kids you know ) I had 2 dislocated elbows, broken wrists, 2 broken legs & a fractured skull before age 12 but I grew out of it when I descovered boy at 13 & he will calm down too but don't mollcoddle him too much he needs to get hurt to know he's not immortal

He may be craving a father figure though so why not speak to your husband about playing a more active role in his step sons life, take him fishing, play footy with him?

Boo, I think it is a rare occasion that I completely agree with you but in this I think you show great wisdom.

I had a stepson with the same problem. His mother spoiled him rotten because she felt sorry for him because of the divorce. I stepped back and let her handle the discipline because he was only my stepson. Later when he was sixteen he began working for me and we became close friends. But it was too late.

He dropped out of High School, totaled three cars, got a young woman pregnant and did some time in jail because he drove repeatedly on a revoked license. His friends were trash and they even robbed my business one day.

I should have stepped in at a much younger age spending a lot more time with him and hoping that we bonded sooner.

I should have supervised his friends instead of his mother because she was naïve.

I should have provided discipline from a male point of view which is harsher in some things and softer in others because I understand boys.

What I mean is, I would let him climb the tree, and show him how to use a knife safely but if he was ever disrespectful to his mother he would be in for some major problems. I would never have allowed him to drop out of school or do any underage drinking as his mother did. I would have kept a much closer reign on him because he showed tendencies toward violence at an early age.

When he got angry once he put his fist through the wall (he was a strong kid) I would have not tolerated behavior like that.

I feel bad about the whole thing. I should have helped (even though it his mother told me repeatedly my help was not wanted). I should have stood my ground and made it a condition of our marriage.

I agree very much with the above two posts. I'm not a parent, but I just finished teaching 10-year-olds in the 5th grade. I taught history, and at first I wasn't thrilled about teaching 10-year-olds and they certainly weren' t thrilled with me. I tend to start off very strict as a teacher, and I gave out a lot of dententions. I established the line of authority immediately, and made it clear that we were not friends - I was without a doubt their teacher. They also moaned and groaned that I made them work too hard and write down too much information.

After awhile, I didn't have to give out so many detentions, I could just warn them with a word, or consequently take something away, like changing their favored seats. To my great surprise, they started to enjoy history. The smart but delinquent kid, was rapt almost the whole time and started to ace his tests. I could relax a bit more, and joke around with them. They started to open up a bit more, instead of acting out. I would ask their opinions about things, and tell them straightforwardly why I was doing things the way I was. They became my class, and the respect was mutual, and after awhile they didn't need to test me nor did they want to, because there was no need, and life and learning was much better for all of us when they followed the rules.

But I must say, I've grown to really like 10-year-olds. They are the "real" kids - not to young, but not yet old enough to be a teen. They are right in the middle, but yet old enough for you to have philosophical and intellectual conversations with them. My "kids" or students, liked to hear about the lives of other 10-year-olds around the world - and even in Bangkok - and I found that it was a good way to teach awareness and appreciation for others less fortunate. *It helped them realize how lucky they were, but I also tried to instill a sense of responsibility, toward themselves and others.

Enjoy this stage Seonai, because in a sense it is like a golden age. But you absolutely must, for the sake of your son and your self, make him understand and respect MOM. You MUST Seonai, because this will determine how he treats you, and other women in the future.

*edit

Edited April 8, 2006 by kat

[chonabot]

seonai,

His stepfather does good just to sit back, everything else would be very thin ice for him to walk on. Ask yourself how you would feel, seeing him punish your child... Be a severe mother, it will be good

Patex

I have to disagree with this , my stepson is 16 and has lived with us for about 4 years , we have another younger son between us. The Stepfather should not feel as if he has to sit back , the sooner that I helped my wife in guiding my stepson , the sooner I became a steadying influence in his life. I think the OP's husband may wish to be more vocal but need reassurance from the OP. Once you share the resonsibility , the burden halves.

Good Luck !

[opothai]

dicipline and the threat of dicipline,

most important carry out your threats.

number one is do not let him gain control, if he does, getting your control back will be a mamouth task.

children are very clever and i would hazard a guess he is playing the [ how far can i push game ]

which is a normal part of growing up into adulthood.

best of luck

[kat]

Yes, in a nutshell, Opothai.

Sometimes I could not believe how good and finely tuned their instincts were, because the moment I got a little slack or tired, they were right there to push it. But kids will only take it as far and for as long as you allow it, and they know this.

[opothai]

kat

i remember when i was younger being kept in my room one saturday for being a little pr+ck, any way it was my father who sent me there.

anyway after 1-2 hours i came down stairs and asked my mother if she could smack me as punishment so i could go out and play footie with my mates.

i thought that was a clever idea and it had possibilities, how wrong. and you can guess the punishment for the next six months every thing i did wrong

when you find the lads achillies heel things will improve no end.

again best of luck

[seonai]

Thanks everyone, Kat I would love to discuss further. It's not easy all this but I see what u all are saying. We had ice cream later toady after a horrendous fight about cleaning the bedroom. Ans I asked him to feel how he was feeling, he said it was absolutely a better feeling to be happy with Mum and not to be in conflict.

[astral]

It sounds to me as though he is testing the limits. You and step-dad

have to clamp down. I find a good slap on the legs once in a while, works wonders

Keeping him occupied with something he enjoys, perhaps going out with step-dad or as a family would help as well. My boys enjoy a trip to Pattaya and the go-kart track. Threat of withdrawal of the privilege can also be a useful lever.

Another step-dad.

[wamberal]

I do some voluntary teaching with kids in the age group from 8 to 11.

If it's any consolation, girls are easier at these ages generally, and boys are a bit more difficult.

However, the situation tends to reverse a bit after puberty.

So sit tight, be consistent, give him room to move within very clear boundaries, lots of affection, and interesting things to do (especially physical things).

The most important thing is that you care about him, and he knows that.

Good luck.

[seonai]

THanks Wamberal, helpful comments.

Backflip would you care to explain yourself please

[srisatch]

Hi Neonai

Really interesting ..real life!!

I have a son who is now 25

We went through much of this and what others talk about

He used to float notes out of the window saying he was leaving home UNLESS we did whatever he wanted....and got a hundred yards down the street a couple of times

You don't say....Where is his Dad? Is he a Thai child with access to a Thai family....Is his step father Thai or farang?

We just learnt that, as others have said,

Lay down the rules and boundaries

Insist they are kept

Respect him and insist he respects you

But above all EVERYONE ...TALK to him and with him like the incipient adult he is.

I jhave said elsewhere that I think in Thailand kids are expected to bring themselves up. The plus of this is their 'independence'..the minus is that they have had little experience of play and sharing with adults and that they are BORED

But YOU are the BOSS!!

And its hard work!!

Good luck

[1bigeater56]

Don't remember if there is a family forum so popping this here in the first instance. My son is a wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful boy - most of the time - but he has this sort of 'monster' that escapes when he is not getting his way (this is a recent thing) and I am personally finding it very hard to cope with. My husband is not his father so there are issues there about discipline etc. On the whole hubby sits back. But I just wondered if there was anyone out there who have this age group or have had, and can offer advice please. I am so tired saying, "Please don't play with sharp knives", "Please don't climb to the top of that tall tree," be careful on the road with the bike"........

And then other times it's all the "Mum I love you SOOOO much....."

Any offers or laughs welcome, I find that half the day is actually depressing as opposed to being fun. We have a great balance - the other half is fab and we go for ice creams and have a laugh and sing together But I'd rather it was 25% hard - 75% good.

Sounds like your boy is a well adjusted boy. Playing with knives? Climbing trees and riding his bike? Sounds like most well adjusted young boys. Being careful is good. All kids need to be careful.

Try this. Get away from the TV and Video Games.

And just to be on the safe side, all children need to constantly reminded to, "Do the right thing," least they do something else. They also need to know that you know what they are doing.

I have two young children and they are just that, young children that need constant molding and monitoring. Would it be perfect if they were perfect? Sure.

In Holland I have a factory where I have 15 employees that I have to constantly remind to, "Do The Right Thing." None of them are children.

And by the way, it's not a Thai thing, a being in Thailand thing, a bad or good father or a bad or good mother. Trying being in the west where your kid is exposed to sex and drugs with an unhealthy dose of reality.

[Lourens]

I am so tired saying, "Please don't play with sharp knives", "Please don't climb to the top of that tall tree," be careful on the road with the bike"........

You did say a laugh too:

The following should have been posted in the Jokes Forum but I thought it was relevant here too.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and

80's!!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they

carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't, get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored

lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when

we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took

hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE

actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar

in it, but we weren't overweight because

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were

back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down

the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all,

no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell

phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us

forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and

tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out

very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang

the bell, or just yelled for them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't

had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers

and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up

as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how

brave their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?