Underage nightclubs - well that’s news to me. I had never heard about them until yesterday when my 14 yr old came home from school with a “pass'’ to Cheeky Underage on Saturday. She’s pretty sensible and knows that there is not much chance of me allowing her to go but what does everyone else think? One friend said “No way it would be like throwing her daughter to the lions.'’
I didn’t want to say no right up front - always a good move to say “I’ll give it some thought'’. I actually called the local cops to ask whether there had been any trouble reported at previous events but they said not that they were aware of. This event is advertised as smoke-free, alcohol-free, supervised - by whom? - and metal detectors and breathalysers are used. But this event is advertised on MySpace. What are the chances hundreds of young people will turn up - the train station is five minutes away. No amount of security is going to help them then. What do others think? What’s your experience? Do I let her go?

 

I know that the best things in life are free and that money doesn’t buy happiness blah blah blah but I love dreaming about winning a million dollars. How many times a day do we say or think “We can’t afford this'’ or “How am I going to pay for that?'’ or “How can we get that cheaper?'’ I’d certainly have a lot more free time cos I wouldn’t have to waste it searching for the best value for the best price and after all that still ask myself “Can I get it cheaper elsewhere!'’ If I won a million dollars I know I’d be happier. For some that would not be enough. Have you heard anyone say they are happy with what they earn? And when they have the big house, pool, SVU or 3, the home theatre, the country retreat, the Portsea beach house - do they then say OK I have enough now. No it’s like an addiction. They go looking for the next big ticket item to buy to give them a bigger consumer buzz. A million dollars would suit me - I would buy a new car, a brand new Commodore, I would burn every second-hand bargain basement item of clothing I ever secured and go on a shopping spree, I would buy a house with views over the Yarra Valley, then I would hire a housekeeper, and gardener and plan a trip to Africa and Ireland. Er … I’d give some to charity …

As a parent of two teens the capabilities of digital technology scare the hell outa me. The news this week of the tragic suicide of two Upwey teens begs the question what can we do to help our teenagers cope in a world that we adults are struggling to keep up with. While children are embracing a whole new way of communicating, parents on the other hand are caught up in a different web - trying to keep on top of things while working longer hours, and spending less time at home. The appointment this week of Victoria Police’s first cyber cop is heartening but families - the strongest influence in a child’s life - have to get internet-savvy. Bullies are always going to find ways to pick on their prey but it is a lot easier when kids have one hand on a mobile phone and the other on a computer mouse. My 14-year-old suggested that bullies be charged and fined. Maybe that’s one way. But at home I think the parents need to get up to speed on what their children are looking at. We place restrictions on how much TV they watch, what time they go to bed, how much pocket money etc. Internet use has to be another of those activities to negotiate with teenagers. In our house MSN is allowed three times a week for 30mins. And they are not allowed on when I am not home. We’ve talked about what gets said and what is and is not appropriate. What else can we do?  

Where else can you feed teenagers an adult size portion of great food without busting the month’s budget? GKs Cafe! A chicken parmagiana with a huge bowl of chips costs under $10. But wait there’s more… they also provide a whole range of curries, stir fries and noodle dishes for the more taste adventurous. Most workers in Lilydale nip in there for their lunch but it’s now open on Saturday nights. SO give it a try!

My son is sitting slumped at the kitchen table. His head is in his hands. He’s groaning in pain. No, not from a soccer injury or an illness.  He’s buckling under the stress of too much homework! I understand that you have to work hard at school to get good results but for heaven sakes the kid’s only in primary school. 
He’s a conscientious student, does his homework as soon as he gets home from school, is organised but the work is never-ending.
The teachers advise half an hour a  night but that’s a stretch! By the time they do their  reading, spelling and maths sheet. And then their projects! Until they get to secondary school I think - unless the child has particular problems in an area - homework should be banned in primary school.
 

I am planning a trip to New Zealand with my 12 and 14 year olds and want to find out about the Milford and Routeburn tracks - Are they OK for older children.

What is it with parents these days? We are so tuned in to the little darlings and their needs and demands that we have forgotten that they need boundaries as well. We don’t want to disappoint them, we don’t want anyone else to and we protect them from all the ups and downs in life so that they have no chance of coping with all the circumstances ahead of them in their adult lives. We fuss over their food, make sure they have every toy on the block and some,  harrass their teachers when Johnny doesn’t get a pen licence the same week Jack did,  we are so involved it is over the top. Then when things don’t go so well we pamper and spoil them. What sort of  adults are we creating? 

 

 

 

 

How can I remove correction fluid from my boy’s $80 brand new school shirt?