Having fun with my son while he's at "home"

[t-bob]

I "like" the garbage, recycle, laundry X5, food disappearing FAST, dirty clothes and dishes everywhere... it will be gone in less than two weeks, but returning in early Mar for a few days and then late May for 3 months.

Our talks have reached a new level. Graham's been asking me for help and advise since he's been home. And I've had a chance to hear and listen to impromptu stories from the last semester.

Seeing growth and maturity as well. He's thinking about being an RA in his dorm next year - he'd be very good at it, and it would mean free room and board, reducing our financial obligation to less than 4K for the year. And he's starting to eat in a healthy way.

Fun stuff.

[theevan]

Extremely gratifying. Huzzahs to Graham.

Growth and responsibility has been painfully slow with our male-type humanoid offspring person.

[John B]

Very cool. I remember when my relationship with my dad moved beyond the typical teenage "dad" stuff. I'm glad you're starting that with your son.

[bamfiles]

It is kind of neat the way you get smarter as you and your kid get older. I just wish I had all the answers and advice mine now asks for. My son did the RA thing for one year in college but got tired of getting yelled at and threatened for enforcing the dorm rules so tell him to be careful and that he can't be their friend and their RA all at the same time, more or less like you can't be a friend to an employee all the time. As the RA, he's responsible if anything bad happens.

[dickt]

Both of my sons did the RA thing after their freshman years. Peter got his room free but paid board. Adam paid room & board but got a stipend and when he was head resident of a complex he got an apartment, a parking place and more money. Really helped out with paying.

We've got our last of 22 college tuition bills to pay this week. Kathy's cost has been nearly double the boys since she didn't do the RA thing and she joined a sorority and costs are just going up. But she will finish in three years at UVa. And at least we're done with two kids at a time in college which were two years that were pretty lean. But they all got out with no student loans to pay off and about $20K in a mutual fund each to help them get started.

[John B]

My wife was an RA; some of her biggest issues came about when in the middle of one of her lectures to her residents about drinking and public drunkenness, I would stumble onto her floor (sometimes the floor of the building, sometimes on the actual floor). When I couldn't really walk and had puke somewhere on my person, all the lessons she tried to teach went out the window.

I was a security monitor for two years at my dorm. Nothing like working the 10-2 or 12-4 shift on the weekends. Once I had to face off against three 6ft+, 350lbs+ aggressive guys on way too much tequila and acid. One on each side (left, right, and center), with my back against the wall. Thank goodness I'm averse to physical actions (especially against me), and I was able to de-escalate (descalate?) the situation.

[Supertramp78]

"My father was an amazing man. The older I got, the smarter he got." - Mark Twain.

[j]

'grats Bob. Where's Sonny at? I think being an RA would be fine depending on the atmosphere on campus - the more relaxed and less of a mayhem-central kind of place, the easier his job.

[t-bob]

J, He's at Univ of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Laidback liberal arts college. Just 2100 undergrads. He'd be jointly in charge of a floor of about 80 kids.

[Village Idiot]

I'm glad to hear all of that, Bob. I used to think my Dad was stupid too. I remember the talks when I came home.

[chak]

Jan 5, 2010 20:59:43 GMT -5 t-bob said:

J, He's at Univ of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Laidback liberal arts college. Just 2100 undergrads. He'd be jointly in charge of a floor of about 80 kids.

Really? That's just a bit south of me Bob. Being an RA there shouldn't be too big of a problem.

[RickW]

Congrats indeed. Very cool seeing them grow up and do the right things.

[t-bob]

Jan 6, 2010 0:29:29 GMT -5 chak said:

Jan 5, 2010 20:59:43 GMT -5 t-bob said:

J, He's at Univ of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Laidback liberal arts college. Just 2100 undergrads. He'd be jointly in charge of a floor of about 80 kids.

Really? That's just a bit south of me Bob. Being an RA there shouldn't be too big of a problem.

Chak, are you in Seattle? Lived all over that area from 1970 - 1991. Bellingham, Arlington, Bellevue, and Seattle neighborhoods of Sandpoint, Queen Anne and West Seattle.