Mother of a Man-Child

My life with teenage boys

Calm Down! February 4, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Mother of a Man-Child @ 10:36 am
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What is it about the simple words “Calm Down” that can so infuriate me?  When said by a teenager to an already irate mother, they simply fuel the fire.  And invariably my response is “Don’t you tell me to calm down……” and on it goes.

Is is that their brains simply don’t process the fact that they have already done something which has riled me (eg. not tidied their room after a third request, not picked up the bath mat or their dirty clothes off the bathroom floor – again) and therefore telling me to calm down is like shouting “duck” when I’ve already been clobbered!!!

Clearly I need to learn the art of counting to ten…..unfortunately, my own brain doesn’t function that fast when I hear these two simple words.  I’m not sure what is worse, Calm Down or my other favourite “Whatever!”. 

Oh, and if you hear them using the latest text inspired language that has entered the vernacular (CBS) pronounced “seebs”, it’s short for Can’t be Stuffed, so be on the lookout for that teenage response also. 

Maybe it’s time we got some of our own back – I heard a great phrase the other day from a mother who was sick of OPK’s (that’s Other People’s Kids), spending time at her place, staying for sleepovers, eating her out of house and home, and keeping her awake well into the early hours of the morning.    Maybe it’s time for an uprising by mothers – the unpaid slaves to our delightful teenage children.  We can call ourselves MOS – Mothers on Strike.  LOL.  🙂

 

It’s gotta be Bonds February 2, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Mother of a Man-Child @ 10:39 am
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The people at Bonds must be in marketing heaven.  After all, if you can charge $20 for a pair of jocks, and have them so publicly displayed by your target market and freely promoting your brand, you’d be in marketing heaven too.  As are the people at Dunlop Volley I am sure. 

For those who may have been asleep for the past 12 months, the photo shows the trend I am referring to.  I’m not sure if it heralds from the original home-boy look,with the low hanging jeans, which has then morphed into a private school boy look all of their own.  In our house, only the man-child is into this look, and happily wears his Bonds above the waistline of jeans, shorts, bathers.  Our teen-child doesn’t seem fussed by the look himself. 

And if you’re thinking there are loads of mens jocks out there with the wide branded waist band, yes there is, but only Bonds cuts it in our house.   You can’t buy brand loyalty like that, for all the money you might throw at it.  Although as a marketer I’d be quite keen to know if they did seed this look with early adopters/trend setters in the market to help it take off? 

For me, I find it very difficult to justify the price – especially when the boys are now wearing mens sizes (and therefore paying mens prices).  I’m sure Bonds have made the most of the trend by inching up prices without us noticing – but that’s the key to marketing isn’t it – managing supply versus demand, so who can blame them.

As trends go I guess it’s pretty harmless – we should be thankful they at least have their jocks in place, with only their jeans hung low –  the alternative view doesn’t bear thinking about does it!

 

Of men and manners? January 29, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Mother of a Man-Child @ 11:24 am
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There seems to be one in every family. The one who thinks that “dropping their guts” to put it ever so crudely is amusing to every one else in the household. So with absolute delight, and no regard for anyone, my “Teenage-Child” (not to be confused with his twin brother the Man-Child) regularly shares his gaseous bodily functions with us all – in the car, the family room, the kitchen, the study, the bathroom – there is no boundary. But of course it’s only shared with the best company (his long-suffering family), never at school, on the tram, or at a mates place….and he literally delights in it. I kid you not he absolutely pisses himself laughing about it. And on the odd occasion, I must admit it is funny – but I try not to laugh. Especially if it has any odour whatsoever. But the other day it was so loud and abrupt, I literally thought it was a fake – seriously. I can only wish.

Apparently even my father has enjoyed the same delights from my teenage sons – who knows what he thought? I can hazard a guess – those private school fees are really paying off!

Further joys of my sons manners will no doubt follow – ah yes, the eating function……