My Children are growing up
I have three beautiful boys. Dylan (DJ, Deej, Dyls) is nine, has two years left at primary school. He is a football nut who plays for Cambridge United Academy, solid as a rock defender and midfield. Dylan is good at all sports (even chess, darts, pool, you name it!), amazing at maths (got that from me). He is a sensitive soul with the determination and focus of Karen Brady.
Josh (JJ, Joshi, Squash) is seven and has four years left at primary school. Also a football nut and also plays for Cambridge United Football Academy, and is a left footed goal scorer. He is creative and can make anything, from recipes to cards to artwork, and he is amazing at spelling! He is so stubborn and has such a temper. Jack (Roo, JackJack) is four, who starts school in September this year. Jack is the baby and always gets his own way. He loves Paw Patrol, Ninja Turtles, Power rangers and the colour pink.
Mobile Phones
I had a long conversation with Josh, yesterday about mobile phones. He wants to know when Dylan and he can have a mobile phone. I used to work for a mobile phone company and understand some people lets their seven-year-old children have mobile phones. Not us, the rule goes, the moment you start walking to places by yourself is the time you get a mobile phone. We live in a village and assuming we stay living in this village, Dylan will be able to walk to school by himself when he is ten-eleven. Boys,you have a bit of wait for that desired mobile phone.
Football Tour to Germany
Next weekend sees Dylan travel to Germany on a football tour with his Cambridge Academy Football team. We drop him off at 4am on Friday morning at the airport and collect him at 11pm on Sunday night. The rules are strict, no contact is allowed as this might distract the boys and make the time away stressful if they are worrying about contacting their parents, updating their parents. I get this. Dylan has been with the academy team and coaches for 18 months now and we trust them implicitly. So, off Dylan goes to Germany, what an incredible opportunity to play against teams like Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, Watford, Leicester, Man City.
But he is only nine. So much responsibility and grown upness required from my son who is only nine. Being the eldest of three brothers he is responsible and does a lot himself, but then you see cracks of the child coming out. The emotional outbursts, the silly behaviour, the not listening, the smirking. My children are growing up too fast.
The Troubles of a Four-Year-Old
Jack is 4 and is just about to finish pre-school. Bring on the emotional graduation ceremony (um really a cap and gown ceremony from PRE-SCHOOL!). Emotions will be high; my baby is leaving little school and is off to big primary school with his older brothers in September. Jack has an issue with buttons, which means he will only wear joggers. I have already started talking about the fact that he must wear grey shorts, just like his brothers, that have buttons. He is not impressed. School dinners will also be another potential mind field, he is fussy, I might just send all three of them in with packed lunches. I know it will save money (school dinners are £2.30 per day for Dylan & Josh, Jack is free until Yr. 3)
Emotional Parents ( I mean mum!)
I am an emotional person at the best of times these things I talk about are going to make me cry. But not in front of the boys, with them I am strong protective mummy. Of course, they see me cry. I cry at Britain’s Got Talent, The News, The Good Dinosaur, Fast and the Furious 8 (yes, the car chase film!). But when it comes to things with them, I want them to see that I am strong and confident. I even managed to talk to them about the Manchester bombing without cracking, but then went to the toilet and cried my heart out.
How do you feel about your children growing up?