Eskimo Day

Andrew · Eskimo Day

Yesterday I loaded up the Jag and delivered my older son Al for his 3rd year at Southampton Solent University. This morning it is loaded up again with just enough room left on the back seat for my daughter who is off for her first year at Exeter.

Al changed his degree after a year of Sound Engineering and is now starting his seciond year of pure Electronics, this after batttling Dyslexia, milld attention defecit and a maths teacher who told him not to bother as it was a waste of time his trying (Al passed Maths and Further Maths at A Level). He's now making a good living on the side tutoring older students on their final year projects and paid for comissions from the University and businesses. He is a classic square peg in a square hole - he almost speaks in binary code.

Jen is off to study English and Classics after storming throuigh her A levels at one of the best universities in the country. She narrowly missed getting in to Oxford, but I think she'll be happier where she is going.

Our other son Phil (16) is now left at home alone with his parents which I think he is slightly dreading.

However today is a day to be proud.

Stuart · Kids

And so you should be Andrew, as well as Mrs Andrew, for raising them so far and setting them on the right path.

2 down 1 to go, eh Phil.....fade out on Vincent Price menacing laugh

Gaz

It's great to hear the nicer stories Andrew, instead of all the bad ones we hear in the news about the "younger" generation.

I know their not all bad, I have two great lads myself. I've never had any bother off them at all. They know right from wrong and know that if they don't work hard, they'll end up like the other toe rags that knock about the streets.

Well done to you & your wife for bringing them up the right way, but an even bigger well done to your kids for taking the right path.

Corgi kid

Brilliant news, Not all todays kids are rotters then. A proud day for mum and dad. Will that be an excuse to crack open a bottle of wine :-)Also excuse my ignorance but why Eskimo day

keesie25

Good news indeed Andrew! I don't and never will get the experience you have, because I have no kids. So, I don't know the feeling, hmmm. Is it like building a model from scratch.....?

Corgi, same question, why Eskimo day.....maybe his children will first live in iglo's next, before they settle for a normal home?

Guzzi Gadgy

Nice to hear Andrew, while my daughter stayed on and studied then went to uni. My son went from being an electrcion to truck driving with quite a few other jobs in between. Then a few years ago he decided to study to be an acountant, did the work got into uni and now at 39 has qualified. I'm sure we all feel very proud of them

Ian

Andrew

300+ miles to Exeter and back - what a hike! Some really nice motors on the roads though including a really nice JPS black and gold Capri II, loads of Minis, including a pickup, and nearer Abingdon loads of mental off roaders at the Abingdon 4x4 weekend. Last night I saw a '61 Cadillac 62 in Abingdon and it was beautiful and HUGE.

OK kids today eh! Mine are all fantastic, kind, respectful, hard-working and with excellent values. I strongly believe in solid family life and firm rules and values. Judith began with a set of iron rules which never varied and we have ended up with three children to be proud of who will pass on those values (as have we from our own parents). Rearing good kids is very hard, it is not complicated, but it is very hard to maintain the consistency, boundaries and example which give them security and confidence.

I'm so proud of them all though.

I'm glad you asked about 'Eskimo Day'. It is the title of a wonderful play written by the late Jack Rosenthall and in which his wife Maureen Lipman played on the telly. It is about parents taking their children to university, Cambridge in the play. It is called Eskimo day after a myth (I think) about old Eskimos (are you still allowed to say Eskimo?) who when they are too old to be any use any more go and sit on an iceberg and float out to sea.

On a personal level I was surprised to be a bit relieved when Al first went to Uni, and while I'm always really happy to have him home for the holidays the house does feel a bit cramped with all five of us. I have to say though that I found myself weeping as I wrote this morning's post, which shocked me. I am going to miss Jen an awful lot.

It felt right and timely when Al left home, but Jenny can't be ready yet.... Actually she completely is ready and once she had got her bearings in Exeter and met some other girls she could not wait to get rid of us!

Two down, one to go.

Steven David

keesie25

Andrew, see it this way. No tears when you don't have kids leaving.........
About your Eskimo story, me being a teacher, I'd rather see some kids put on an iceberg, set to sea. I will most gladly give the final push.

Andrew

Daughter Jen came home from University for the weekend. I have really been missing her. She is funny and naive and just makes you wonder what effect she has on the world as she plunges through it. This is her on the right and her mate Kate on the left who came on holiday to Italy with us last summer. Funnily enough wherever we went we got the most amazing attentive service.

Nothing whatever to do with the fact that they were wearing enough square footage of clothing for half a normal person between them.

Actually since she's gone to Uni I'm finding Facebook the most amazing source of parental intelligence. The kids don't seem to twig that the pictures they post for their mates are visible to parents ('rents) too. Like this one from the youngest son who says he does not smoke! His mother made him suffer for this one, I was scared and I was on her side!

keesie25

Pretty girls Andrew, you can almost hear them giggling through the picture!
About your son, well, we have all done the things our parents forbid, didn't we? In the end it always comes out right.

Duncan

I missed this post first time around Andrew but have enjoyed the read. Glad to hear your daughter is settling in and don't be too hard on son no. 2...

you'd be amazed at what some people can do with Photoshop...

(throw the kid a life-line!!!)

My daughter has just turned 10 and like you I'm proud as can be of her - my son too who is 7. They are both kind (my son especially has a natural ability to seek out those who need a little help to get the best out of themselves - one of his class mates is disabled and his teacher is forever telling us stories that leave you with a lump in the throat!), USUALLY very well behaved and they both do their very best at school. My daughter is very interested in science and is becoming a pretty decent guitarist.

When we are in the company of many of their peers it really makes us glad we have brought up our children to be plesant likeable people!

That said...here come the teens...oh Lordy...!

MISTER C

Nice to read those comments on your two children,suppose that's what you get for letting them watch "The Polar Express"

well that bit near the end

don't give it away..........mum's the word

Duncan

Funny enough that came up recently when talking about arrangements for this Christmas. I think its got to the point where we watch that on Christmas Eve for my benefit more than theirs!!

My kids know I have a 'direct line' to the man himself. A number of my daughter's classmates are dis-believers now. My daughter isn't showing any sign of real doubt though. I know who to call if she does!

vincent ryder

MISTER C

Found it Duncan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fomVkIUE1S0&feature=related last 10 secs will suffice

Eskimo Day

Kids