I have to say a huge thank you to Johnny and Lisa, the DJ’s on Capital Radio’s Breakfast Show. They have kept us going through the early morning drives to drop my son off at school during his GCSE’s.
Somehow, trying to converse in the car doesn’t work because all three children have to come with me and first thing in the morning they want to kill each other but are too tired to speak, which is therefore marginally better than immediately after school.
Very early on these journeys I gave up asking my teenage son if he was ready for his exam because he appeared to be virtually comatose and either about to totally fail or was getting into some sort of weird exam zone in his head or just not listening to me as usual. So we all stopped bothering to speak and listened to them instead – I love Johnny Vaughan – he’s a very funny man.
The other day my daughter tried to call to add to the “wrong cream” stories they were highlighting. Like rubbing toothpaste into your baby’s bottom instead of Sudacream (for nappy rash) or putting “Bazooka That Verruca” on your child’s lips instead of lip balm…..she wanted to add the story of my mother’s friend who carefully administered two drops of Super Glue into her eye instead of the antibiotic eye cream and nearly lost her sight.
ANYWAY, my 8 year old said to me this morning, “I wonder what he looks like – he sounds really cool” and when I described him (“head the size of a grape, not much hair left”) he said “You are joking! He doesn’t SOUND bald”.
Only one more exam left for my teenage son and then he’s got the whole summer off. He said this evening “can you believe that in 122,400 seconds I will have broken up”. I am beginning to get worried now. Just how mad do they go once their exams are over? I hardly even dare ask the question. One friend has told me that they go completely mad and stay out all the time and generally tend not come back for a whole year! I can’t cope with that. He’s keeping very quiet about his plans. Occasionally I wander by and hear Newquay or Reading Festival or Portugal mentioned….not happy about any of those options frankly, but luckily I don’t think he’s given much thought to how he’s going to fund his glamorous summer of love. Oh dear. Watch this space. Does it help to get into the brace position a day early?
Perhaps I’ll just stop his pocket money and make him get a job. Or is that a bit mean?
Anonymous
June 15, 2009Of course he must get a job in order to finace these exotic plans!
Mum's the word
June 15, 2009Please, please don't let him go to Newquay as I'm going there for a wedding this summer.
Please!!
Oh and I love Johnny and Lisa too.
x
Fat, frumpy and fifty...
June 15, 2009I had the same worries last year with our daughter. But its okay, all her friends had a job and money so they all went out, she stayed home, having given up the sat job, cos she took her eye off the ball 6 weeks before exams. Same thing has happened this year, but she still has the job. Though the last few weeks she has been out late on saturday /sunday mornings, so be warned. It will happen.
family affairs
June 15, 2009Yes, anon. You're right. He must.
OK MTW – will try not to but be warned there will still be 85,000 vomiting teenagers there even if you can't see my son! Lx
Yes thx FFF I'm getting into the brace position Lx
Claire
June 16, 2009Look, he'll do whatever he'll do and there won't be much you can do about it. My Dad's a policeman and he knew I went out underage drinking. His words to me were, "I don't mind you going out to pubs, but if you get picked up by the police DO NOT call me to bail you out." So, I knew my boundaries. He also wouldn't pick me up late from anywhere or come bail me out from places 1.5hrs away from home, so I had to take responsibility for myself and how I was gonna get home or who I'd stay with. I think his method worked, but what else can a single dad with a teenage daughter do really?
BTW I went to Newquay between lower and upper sixth and had a great time – possibly a bit safer than getting into trouble in Portugal.
Claire
June 16, 2009I meant to add that everything I did including drinking and traveling places I funded myself with a job. Maybe that's also a good thing, if you're old enough to drink/go out late by yourself, you're old enough to work on a saturday…
word veri: suffer!
Exmoorjane
June 16, 2009Just love that people can *sound* bald.
Get into brace position and prepare to stop pocket money (not mean, just tough and fair).
jxxx