Nalod wrote:In the blink of an eye........

Married off my 24 year old son this winter and my baby girl just graduated college. Little Nalodette will be joining the media as an on air reporter for an NBC affiliate on the East coast.
I miss my kids at those various ages. No regrets, I spend a lot of time at home, traveled minimally and was always involved day to day. They drive you crazy at the time but those moments that make you smile are what you remember and take with you always. Happy to have them as independent, engaged in their lives, and well adjusted adults moving forward. got one 90 minutes away, and the other 3 hours. This weekend we will all get to the beach house with significant others and enjoy 3 days of time together. It gets harder as they are busier and have their own lives, including own recreational time they need outside the family.

Kids are like expiration on milk bottles, stay too long and it gets sour. Im lucky both went off to school and did well enough to launch well. That's all good, but when I walk by the pictures of them at various young ages its easy to get melancholy about time passed and how precious this life is. Im 55, still a lot left in the tank and left to experience, but the greatest role in life has been that as a parent and husband. Its not for everyone so I don't advocate as such.

My kids did not become professional athletes although they both excelled at their respected sports and we fulfilled our goal of it being an activity to keep them out of trouble and growth of self esteem. The plaques and awards are all boxed up now as the benchmarks changed. Now they have their own domiciles and walls to fill.

Parenthood is a long journey with many stops and infinite destinations. My advice is to spend as much time "being there" as you can. Eat as many meals together. The best moments are never planned, they just evolve. Sometimes at dinner a child will get sick and vomit. If your there, you can comfort them, help clean up, and provide the needs to cure. If your there, the conversation might turn silly and your all laughing your heads off creating a great meal. Its never about food, its about routine and the growth your culture. Oh, and never argue at the table. Just manage it so its done afterwards. The dinner table is a place of refuge and a place of peaceful gathering. If its a place for confrontation you'll lose.

WWCD.......What would clint do? My Movie hero growing up was Clint Eastwood. Clint would never yell or lose his cool. As a parent, if you yell, your losing. There are many techniques to help with this and books on it. Uncle Nalod didn't write the book, but I read them. In time you develop your own values and as long as you and partner are on the same page, life is easier. When not, work to get there.

thanks Nalod - great advice

i liked "My kids did not become professional athletes although they both excelled at their respected sports and we fulfilled our goal of it being an activity to keep them out of trouble and growth of self esteem." Thats why i loved sports, it kept me engaged with positive activities and boosted the self esteem. i came from a RIGID family where if i came home with a 97 it would be "how come you didnt get 100". they never came or supported my HS or college games. i want to be more supportive when it comes to raising my kids. im not saying my parents did a bad job, jut saying i would change some things

PS should i make her a knick fan and sign her up for a lifetime of misery. lololol

callmened wrote:

Nalod wrote:In the blink of an eye........

Married off my 24 year old son this winter and my baby girl just graduated college. Little Nalodette will be joining the media as an on air reporter for an NBC affiliate on the East coast.
I miss my kids at those various ages. No regrets, I spend a lot of time at home, traveled minimally and was always involved day to day. They drive you crazy at the time but those moments that make you smile are what you remember and take with you always. Happy to have them as independent, engaged in their lives, and well adjusted adults moving forward. got one 90 minutes away, and the other 3 hours. This weekend we will all get to the beach house with significant others and enjoy 3 days of time together. It gets harder as they are busier and have their own lives, including own recreational time they need outside the family.

Kids are like expiration on milk bottles, stay too long and it gets sour. Im lucky both went off to school and did well enough to launch well. That's all good, but when I walk by the pictures of them at various young ages its easy to get melancholy about time passed and how precious this life is. Im 55, still a lot left in the tank and left to experience, but the greatest role in life has been that as a parent and husband. Its not for everyone so I don't advocate as such.

My kids did not become professional athletes although they both excelled at their respected sports and we fulfilled our goal of it being an activity to keep them out of trouble and growth of self esteem. The plaques and awards are all boxed up now as the benchmarks changed. Now they have their own domiciles and walls to fill.

Parenthood is a long journey with many stops and infinite destinations. My advice is to spend as much time "being there" as you can. Eat as many meals together. The best moments are never planned, they just evolve. Sometimes at dinner a child will get sick and vomit. If your there, you can comfort them, help clean up, and provide the needs to cure. If your there, the conversation might turn silly and your all laughing your heads off creating a great meal. Its never about food, its about routine and the growth your culture. Oh, and never argue at the table. Just manage it so its done afterwards. The dinner table is a place of refuge and a place of peaceful gathering. If its a place for confrontation you'll lose.

WWCD.......What would clint do? My Movie hero growing up was Clint Eastwood. Clint would never yell or lose his cool. As a parent, if you yell, your losing. There are many techniques to help with this and books on it. Uncle Nalod didn't write the book, but I read them. In time you develop your own values and as long as you and partner are on the same page, life is easier. When not, work to get there.

thanks Nalod - great advice

i liked "My kids did not become professional athletes although they both excelled at their respected sports and we fulfilled our goal of it being an activity to keep them out of trouble and growth of self esteem." Thats why i loved sports, it kept me engaged with positive activities and boosted the self esteem. i came from a RIGID family where if i came home with a 97 it would be "how come you didnt get 100". they never came or supported my HS or college games. i want to be more supportive when it comes to raising my kids. im not saying my parents did a bad job, jut saying i would change some things

PS should i make her a knick fan and sign her up for a lifetime of misery. lololol

My son morphed into a knick fan. My only failure. He asked me once for a Ewing jersey and I told him "no, you where your own jersey!!!" A few years later as a 12 year old he made North Carolina Jr Hurricanes team that traveled up to Canada and played in the prestigious International Pee Wee tournament as a 12 year old. He and his team got introduced during half time at an NHL game in front of 18000 fans, name called out, name on score board and skated up to redline one by one. A big thrill. THey provided them authentic home and away jersey's with their name and number on it. Funny thing was he never wore it off the Ice. I asked him why and said "Hockey is what I do, not who I am. I don't want to dress that way". He was into being a skater punk at that time and played guitar in a band. Could not label him at the time. I also think most would just think he had it made himself from the NHL.com shop as many fans do. The tournament was 11 days and he missed a lot of school that month! We went with him. When we got back, we were home for 4 days, then another 4 day tournament in Charleston SC (more school missed) with his local team. They won that, and then 8 days later off to Bradenton Florida for another 5 days to play in the Southern Regionals. They did not do that well, but my parents lived near by, had a great pool party at their house and we went to Disney for a day as well. Couldn't tell you the score but some things you just remember the rest of your life. It was a great winter and we took our daughter with us as well. The school pitched a fit but some things were just too important as a family. Quebec city winter carnival with the Ice hotel and ice sculptures is not to be missed!
My daughter was a 4 year starter in high school for womens lacross and as a senior city/county player of the year. She had some scholarship offers but she didn't want to be married for 4 years to the program and wanted to study in Chile for 6 mos, which she did. Her career would not have happened if she could not make the commitments to the internships and college TV studio. Also, if you get injured, your meat. Not a good feeling.