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> You have to wonder at the mentality of someone who wouldn't be there for their kid. I have three boys (5, 4, 1) and another baby on the way. I'll tell you:

> You have to wonder at the mentality of someone who wouldn't be there for their kid. I have three boys (5, 4, 1) and another baby on the way. I'll tell you: some of the crap these kids do is freaking boring. Seriously. The older two are in T-ball now, and the practices and games are just mind bogglingly uninteresting. I'm glad they're playing, and I'm glad they're learning important life skills like following directions, understanding rules, and especially some physical prowess, but four innings is just numbing, especially when I'm also chasing around/entertaining my toddler at the same time. Help with homework? Sure. Answer questions, all day long? Hell yeah I'll do that. Teach the oldest to play "Tower of Guns" to introduce him to using the mouse and keyboard? Yup, happy to help. But T-ball practice? God, only if I must. Cub scout meetings don't sound any better. But you know what? That's perfectly fine. That's why we have coaches. There are also a number of other dads who are interested in T-ball and help out at practices and games. Not every parent has to be interested in every thing their kid does all the time: it's actually healthy for kids to encounter adults in roles other than "parent" and "teacher".

coldtea 11y ago
>I have three boys (5, 4, 1) and another baby on the way. I'll tell you: some of the crap these kids do is freaking boring. Seriously. The older two are in T-ball now, and the practices and games are just mind bogglingly uninteresting. We always cringe in Europe about this thing in American movies/series, where its "so" important for the kid to have the parents be there for their school performance or game, especially when said kid is 12 or 15 or so. In real life (at least here) most kids at that age would be enbarassed to be seen with their parents. Sure, they like for parents to be there for some of the important stuff, but not most BS school functions or game practice.
- atom-morgan 11y ago
  That's interesting. I wasn't aware of that. Does that only extend to the age group you mentioned (>12)?
  - coldtea 11y ago
    Well it's mostly teenagers you know, they want to be and look "independent", not to have their (embarrasingly dressed and outdated) parents cheer them up in school functions...
- marktangotango 11y ago
  As an US-ian, I agree with this. I take it the gp above means the Big events. For example as a kid I was only ever in one big school event, and graduations from highschool/college.
hvidgaard 11y ago
I wasn't meant to be understood that you have to be there for everything. I send my children on their merry way on their own. I don't follow the oldest into the class, he's 6 and can do that himself. I take him to the scouts every week, but I'm not there. I was more thinking along the line where you have arranged to go the park with your kid Sunday, and play some ball - work better not cancel that more often than not.
VLM 11y ago
"Cub scout meetings don't sound any better." Its fun if you get involved either as a den leader/assistant or in the background (I was a treasurer). Its basically your ask questions and give directions but with a 15 kid family, thankfully temporarily. And the other parents can be interesting. Being a treasurer kept me busy. Its actually kinda a downer when they graduate into boy scouts which is a boy run organization as opposed to cub scouts which is a parent run org. Last night all the parents got to do, other than observe, was provide endless safety warnings about their "chemical fuel" chit training. "So you don't try to find a propane stove leak using a match, right?" and its that kind of stuff all night long.

coldtea 11y ago

>I have three boys (5, 4, 1) and another baby on the way. I'll tell you: some of the crap these kids do is freaking boring. Seriously. The older two are in T-ball now, and the practices and games are just mind bogglingly uninteresting. We always cringe in Europe about this thing in American movies/series, where its "so" important for the kid to have the parents be there for their school performance or game, especially when said kid is 12 or 15 or so. In real life (at least here) most kids at that age would be enbarassed to be seen with their parents. Sure, they like for parents to be there for some of the important stuff, but not most BS school functions or game practice.

atom-morgan 11y ago
That's interesting. I wasn't aware of that. Does that only extend to the age group you mentioned (>12)?
- coldtea 11y ago
  Well it's mostly teenagers you know, they want to be and look "independent", not to have their (embarrasingly dressed and outdated) parents cheer them up in school functions...
marktangotango 11y ago
As an US-ian, I agree with this. I take it the gp above means the Big events. For example as a kid I was only ever in one big school event, and graduations from highschool/college.

hvidgaard 11y ago

I wasn't meant to be understood that you have to be there for everything. I send my children on their merry way on their own. I don't follow the oldest into the class, he's 6 and can do that himself. I take him to the scouts every week, but I'm not there. I was more thinking along the line where you have arranged to go the park with your kid Sunday, and play some ball - work better not cancel that more often than not.

VLM 11y ago

"Cub scout meetings don't sound any better." Its fun if you get involved either as a den leader/assistant or in the background (I was a treasurer). Its basically your ask questions and give directions but with a 15 kid family, thankfully temporarily. And the other parents can be interesting. Being a treasurer kept me busy. Its actually kinda a downer when they graduate into boy scouts which is a boy run organization as opposed to cub scouts which is a parent run org. Last night all the parents got to do, other than observe, was provide endless safety warnings about their "chemical fuel" chit training. "So you don't try to find a propane stove leak using a match, right?" and its that kind of stuff all night long.