Beware of the Long Haired Freaky People
May 26, 2011
My 4th grade son came home from school the other day and asked if he could go a friend’s house from his class. Before I could even answer he added that he wasn’t going to go inside the kid’s house at all, just play outside.
Yeah that is a weird thing to say. So I questioned him a bit.
Turns out the mother of this kid doesn’t like my son. (I’ll get back to that in a moment. Oh yes, I will.)
So my son and his friend thought he could just go over to this kid’s house and stay outside and play the whole time and the mother wouldn’t have to know. The obvious questions never occurred to either one of them, like:
You are only ten, who will be supervising you SEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM YOUR OWN HOME?
What if you get hurt?
What if you need to use the bathroom?
What if you want a drink?
And, oh yeah, you are ONLY TEN YEARS OLD.
He thought for a moment and said, I guess we didn’t really think about all of that stuff.
Really? You didn’t? And do you know why? Because you are ONLY TEN YEARS OLD.
After this part of the conversation had passed I asked him why this person would not like him. Actively disliking a child seems pretty hardcore unless you have personally witnessed the child being malicious or rotten. My child is neither of those things. He is actually a pretty good kid who has never gotten in trouble in school, gets good grades, and whose teachers tell me he is kind to everyone, which is the one that matters most to me and fills me with the most pride. But I also know that he IS a child and human (probably) and therefore could have done something bad that she witnessed. Children do childish things.
His answer as to why she dislikes him? She reads your blog and thinks I am a bad influence. And she doesn’t approve of my long hair.
I had to laugh.
I don’t think I have written anything about any of my children that portray them in a negative light. And I told my son that, though he already knows.
So I really am at a loss for why this kid of mine is a bad influence.
The kid who cooked dinner last night for himself and his two younger siblings because I was tied up (not literally) and they were hungry. (Eggs over easy, with melted cheese on top, and buttered toast.) The kid who gets out of bed every morning, showers, and gets ready with no prompting or reminders from me. The kid who can always make me laugh, inspite of myself.
The kid who was just saying he was going to donate his gorgeous long hair.
How can I not laugh at that?
Parents, lock your kids up away from this child! Shield their eyes! Clearly this is not the kind of influence to which you want your child exposed.
If I were the petty sort I would have told my child to tell his friend that they can’t play together because I think his mother is close-minded and judgmental. But I didn’t.
My teenagers did it for me.
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Huh. He sounds like just the type of child moms should be falling over themselves to have over, as he would be an excellent model for *anyone*.
Given the amount of piercings, tattoos, elective cosmetic surgery and other things kids are up to these days, this mom isn’t going to find very many kids at all for hers to associate with.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:28 amI’m so perplexed. Since *I* read your blog and I think, “oh, I wish they lived in MY town!”
Your family’s influence is just the kind I would be thrilled for my kids to have.
As long as they cut their hair.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:29 amI’m having similar issues with a parent disapproving of my kid, but for…I guess…more political reasons? As in…my son’s questionable sexuality? Kinda? They’re son is out and they are trying to make him straight. My son is “questioning” I guess so they don’t want their son hanging out with him unless their son can “prove” my son is straight. It’s also not something my son is keen to discuss with me b/c he finds it embarrassing. It’s a very rough position to be in.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:31 amLOVE me some 10 year olds. And their thought process. Mine turned 10 on Monday. I keep thinking she’s a year older and closer to putting independent thoughts/actions together into an action/reaction scenario. So far, nothing. I think maybe 11 will be our year. (fingers crossed)
BTW…I’ll just say I don’t get the long hair thing (on boys). From 6-13 I had a tough time getting my kids (B, G, G, G) to bathe on a regular basis. The thought of having to deal with getting them to wash their hair, sent me into a drinking frenzy (still there…that youngest one is only 10). Yes, even girls. My oldest (and only son) had hockey hair (which drove me up a friggin’ wall) til about 8th grade when he finally cut it all off. Actually, he “let” me make the decision and he has never gone back. I think he found the role that long hair played on his puberty effected skin.
That being said…I wouldn’t judge your son on his long hair. Unless of course, he had a next of birds living in it.
Chris says: I suppose I think there are bigger battles to fight and it is JUST hair. Now if they refused to bathe it would be a different story. But they shower without fail every morning.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:31 amYou know, as much as I truly love my home state of Texas, it sometimes seems that it has more than its fair share of stupid people. I hate that.
You son can come play with my kids anytime.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:34 amGrown ups who don’t like a particular child and tell them that they don’t like them should be punished in some way. There are kids out there who are little terrors but I never actively dislike them. I feel sorry for them. And grown ups who tell their children they do not like a certain child definitely have something wrong with them. Also, THANK GOD FOR TEENAGERS!
May 26th, 2011 at 10:40 amOh my….. it takes all kinds. What a DB!!!
May 26th, 2011 at 10:42 amWhat on EARTH!!! Who says that! And may I suggest that the friend is always welcome in your house?
A ten-year-old cooking dinner is incredibly sweet.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:42 amWill be interesting when the mom reads this post and wonder if it’s about her.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:43 amLove the last line!
Really having a hard time wrapping my head around the bad influence part of all this…??? And as for the hair - my gosh, it’s not like you guys are satan worshippers….hair is hair, not character.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:55 amWow. I mean…words escape.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:56 amMy best friend’s husband is a bald, tattooed punk rock star. (Like, literally. A star. Tours and everything. Anyway, I digress.) He’s also a huge goofball, a devoted family man whose sun rises and sets on his wife and even more so on his kids. He recently went on tour and walked his daughter to the bus stop the morning he left and was in tears when he got back because he was going to miss her so badly. He’s a TEDDY BEAR. However, my friend constantly has to deal with people judging him solely based on how he looks. It’s infuriating!
I hope that your boy gets an opportunity to show this judgemental stick-up-her-rear mom what a good kid he is!
Um I want my kids to hang out with your kids BECAUSE they have long hair…I kid, but only sortof.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:05 amJust awesome and even more awesome that she’ll be reading this post (hopefully properly put in her place). Thank you for having this attitude and for sharing it with us - you’re definitely the kind of mom I strive to be!
May 26th, 2011 at 11:08 amMy usual response to people like that is “Suck it, Fancy.”
May 26th, 2011 at 11:10 amI’ve never met your son, but he sounds like I boy that I would love to be my son’s friend. It’s great that your children all stick up/watch out for each other.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:14 amI met this lady on a bus at Disneyworld. Shuttles her kids everywhere in a bubble because she was derived from a virgin birth and can probably say supercalifragilsticexpealidocious backwards.
She probably wasn’t hugged enough as a kid.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:18 amPerhaps this parent is intimidated by your honest and often funny posts on this blog. Or by the number of children that you have. Or by the fact that you find a way to make it all work.
Perhaps she’s jealous.
Or perhaps she’s just had her period.
Who knows?
May 26th, 2011 at 11:24 amWhen my son left Seattle for Cleveland in 95 to go to school he had very long hair. He dressed in tye dyed shirts too. In Cleveland they watched him closely whenever he was in a store shopping. When he cut his hair (it was half way down his back in a pony tail) right before graduation people finally stopped watching him when he entered a store. I always thought that was kind of weird….Guess he stuck out too much in conservative Cleveland where he was one of many in Seattle!
May 26th, 2011 at 11:25 amI’ve been reading your blog now since about 2007 and have thouroughly enjoyed it! You’ve mentioned since you’ve moved to Texas that your not quite as anonymous as you used to be but before now I didn’t get it. Why in the hell would someone read your blog just to get S%#@ on you and make judgements. Reading blogs is free will, last time I checked anyway.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:25 amI’m sorry that you have to filter your life on your blog now more than in CT (or somewhere up there). It truly is fun to read and I’ve picked up some great parenting tips from you, especially being a newer mom. I appreciate your candidness often!!
Anyone that would form a negative opinion about your family from this blog is truly a twisted and severely sad person! I said it!
Keep writing, I love it!
Danielle
Wow, it really hurts when people judge our children, doesn’t it? Especially in this case, when she’s clearly not judging him, but you. My youngest stepson did something stupid when he was a sophomore in high school. On a chat with 3 friends he said something made up about being sad because his mom died (she had not) and one of the 3 kids believed him, was apparently quite upset about it, and mentioned it to his parents. The other two were in on the joke (though none of us thought it was particularly funny) and supposedly the three of them were trying to fool the fourth kid though no one could say why. The parents of the gullible kid called around to the local funeral home, morgue, etc. (probably because their kid was so upset) and discovered that she had not died — though wouldn’t have calling her home number been much easier? My kid had to apologize (damn right he did) and then, and here’s the part that I don’t understand, the mother of the gullible kid says to my stepson, “I don’t accept your apology. You are a bad person and I don’t want you around my son anymore.” Okay, we all agree that what he did was wrong, he learned his lesson, but it really was just stupid kid stuff that got out of hand. No one was physically harmed, really it was minor. So you, a 40-something year old woman, tell a 15 year old boy that he is a bad person and you don’t forgive him? To this day, some 6 years later, I still want to give her a piece of my mind.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:26 amGood for your teenagers. I read your blog and would gladly let my son be associated with any of your children. I would be honored to have you as a friend or aquaintance. To judge a child because of how he dresses or how long or short their hair is is so close minded. Probably a good thing you have not met this lady in person. I only have one child(16) so admire your patience and parenting with so many. It’s nice to read your blog and know you are a real mom that has frustrations, knows her kids are perfect, does get impatient. Not one of those perfect, homegrown, never get mad moms. Keep up the good work. Lora
May 26th, 2011 at 11:30 amWow, TX seems like a pretty tough state to be a kid in. For the record, I would totally let my perfect 10 y.o. boy play with yours. My child is so perfect, he’s incorruptible. I’ve always been generous like that though. Hoping my perfect son will teach his less than perfect peers a few lessons. Just consider it my gift to society.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:35 amNow my 13 y.o. daughter, no way would I allow her to hang with anyone, she’s just trouble.
Oh Lordie, whatcha gonna do about that sort of ignorance? Your child sounds delightful.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:44 amPeople get very odd ideas in their heads! I have never once gotten the impression that your children were any sort of aproblem. In fact, I’m very impressed by how much you guard your children’s privacy on your blog. You do a great job of it. We really know very, very little about your kids.
It must be those crazy Texans objecting to that long hair. Those wild kids! haha
May 26th, 2011 at 11:55 amI think his mother is close-minded and judgmental.
Word.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:03 pmYour kids are awesome. And I love that your teenagers told him just how it is.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:09 pmI really just do not understand some people. What a terrible thing this woman is teaching her son. My son is 5 and he likes his hair longer. I have decided to let him make that decision about his hair. He has so little control over most things in his life that I let him decide how he wants his hair and what he wants to wear. You would not believe the comments and looks that I get from some people. That mother really his close-minded and judgmental. UGH!
May 26th, 2011 at 12:11 pmHOW in the world can she have gotten any of that from your blog? This blog? Perhaps she’s confused. I’d be thrilled for my kids to hang out with yours.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:13 pmI’d love to be a fly on the wall when the other mom reads this post, lol!
May 26th, 2011 at 12:17 pmYeah, that’s pretty hardcore to dislike a 10 year old. I know several children in our neighborhood and among our kids’ friends and only one whom I didn’t like enough to not let her play with my kids. BUT, she was 5 years older than my oldest, she lied constantly, stole things, and was blatantly disobedient and disrespectful. It actually took 4 years of this before I banned her from playing with my children. So it seems strange to me that someone would not like your child. Unless he misunderstood her? I don’t know.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:23 pmGotta love those teenagers!
May 26th, 2011 at 12:24 pmThis post made me laugh a bit, must say. Good for you for locking up your oh so hazardous child! He sounds like a true terror! He might bake her cookies or something while she isn’t looking and clean up after himself, OH MY.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:25 pmI read your blog and would be HONORED to have any of your kids play with mine!! Unfortunately, only your younger two would probably be interested because my oldest is between them in age. That woman must have a screw loose or something. As for the hair? Whatever…it’s just hair (and I am still trying to convince my mom of that).
May 26th, 2011 at 12:31 pmI wish you lived down the street from me and your boys would come over and hang out with my boys. But we’re freaky folks from Los Angeles.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:35 pmDoes she read comments? Dear Ma’am, please don’t let your child play with my son either. He has long hair too.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:41 pmThank You, and have yourself a nice day!
I’ll take long hair over close-minded and judgmental any day!
May 26th, 2011 at 12:42 pmI feel bad for their kid. He’s the one who must have to live at perfect standards.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:46 pmYes, well the friend will get some clean cut short haired friends and she will trust them and they will be the bad influence on her child. Must be she can’t trust her own child’s judgement on choosing his friends. Remember her son is just 10 years old and I feel bad for him with a domineering Mother.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:52 pmAren’t you glad you have all those kids? They really stick up for each other, and you. I sat it reading it with steam coming out of my ears. So I am trying to calm myself down, tell myself I can’t change the world, there are always going to be those people and it is someone I would never know or come close to. But… if your child did not have the older brothers what would he think about himself or about you. I hope SHE reads this. What a b….! I don’t comment much anymore but I’ve been reading since the big yellow house days, what could she possible find that offensive?
May 26th, 2011 at 1:01 pmHee, yay for your teenagers!
Gee, I’ve been mentally fixing up my daughter with your long-haired sons for years now, I think your kids are amazing - MINE would be the bad influence on yours!
May 26th, 2011 at 1:01 pmmy favorite part is that she reads your blog. BAHAHAHAHA!!! seriously… any good mom knows that you should choose your battles wisely. looks to me that you have… and i agree… having a child that’s kind to other people is far more important that hair. i mean… seriously???
May 26th, 2011 at 1:11 pmHa! Glad his siblings spoke up. Irks me to no end when adults dislike children, but more so when they actually say it out loud. To this: http://whatnowandwhy.blogspot.com/2011/05/watch-what-you-say-psa.html, my sister and law told my daughter to tell the girl she can’t come to the party because her mother is an idiot (not really, but it was funny to hear that she wanted to).
May 26th, 2011 at 1:13 pmsister IN law sheesh!
May 26th, 2011 at 1:14 pmLet me just say, I wish my kids had children like yours to play with. Although I am sure your kids aren’t perfect.. mine aren’t either, I am sure they have fun.
Even if we have good reason not let our kids play with a child, the answer we give our kids is no. They don’t always need to know the reason… unless it has something to do with their safety. We don’t ever discuss our true thoughts on our children’s friends in front of our children because the first thing out of a child’s mouth when they get angry is:
“my mom said you ………”
Ps. I think the long blond hair is cute.
May 26th, 2011 at 1:22 pmI read your blog too, and your kids sound like they would be a blast–not a bad influence at all. So she’s not only close-minded and judgmental (and hair-ist, which is a word I just made up to mean prejudiced against people with long hair), but she’s also a bit of a nutter with poor reading comprehension skills.
May 26th, 2011 at 1:34 pmAre you absolutely sure she said that? The only reason I ask is because I have a ten year old son who almost always screws up what other people say.Not on purpose, he just isn’t ever fully listening to anyone. Maybe your son’s friend misunderstood his mother. My son does that all the time. On top of that, I am a sarcastic wise ass so occasionally I say things to be funny and it all gets twisted around. I hope that is what happended in this case. Or - the woman is a total bitch and really did say it. At any rate, I bet she enjoyed this post
May 26th, 2011 at 1:38 pmShe apparently did not see the Oprah finale where she stressed that it is the birthright of all people to be worthy. Or that lesson in compassion or human kindness. Sheesh.
May 26th, 2011 at 1:43 pmHow amazing that someone would judge anyone, let alone a child, on their hair! Truly amazing!
May 26th, 2011 at 1:51 pmOh man, harsh.
So sorry that happened and I hope your son can still be friends with the boy even though his mom has something up her butt. I was going to say (NOT to defend her) that I can see how a super conservative mom might think your kids were pretty worldly, etc. (which is not a criticism by any means) and maybe want to keep her kid more sheltered? In any case, who knows. Your teenagers crack me up. How did they tell her?!
May 26th, 2011 at 2:01 pmI am wondering why you didn’t just call the mom and talk to her? You got all this here-say from two ten year olds.
Just wondering…I know it would hit hard to have someone judge your child. But why not call her instead of using the blog you know she reads to judge her and tell her she is judgmental.
Seems uncharacteristic of you…who I don’t know at all! But I like your blog and the fact your are not perfect.
Chris says: I am not sure why I should call someone I don’t know and question them as to why they think my child is a bad influence. It really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of life. If she doesn’t like my child, for whatever reason, I really don’t want him over at her house where his every move would be scrutinized anyway.
May 26th, 2011 at 2:07 pmYou totally rock! Your son can date my daughter!! (but he’s got to wait a while, she’s not there yet)
May 26th, 2011 at 2:11 pmA-fucking-mazing…. Your kids can play with my kids any day!! (of course they can use the toilet and I will get them a drink)… unfortunate that it is a LONG way from Texas to Toronto.
Parents ‘these’ days make me CRAZY… Kids are Kids…lets take the freaking bubble wrap off them put down the hand sanitizer and let them PLAY!!!
One day she will wonder why no one wants to play with her son and you know what the reason will be? his mother… I feel sorry for that kid!!
May 26th, 2011 at 2:15 pmWhy would this woman continue reading the blog of someone whose kids are a bad influence? Because clearly they get it from someone.
May 26th, 2011 at 2:26 pmGood for your teenagers! And I hope that the mother happens to read this particular blog entry! Shame on her for judging appearances!
May 26th, 2011 at 2:28 pmI don’t understand some people. At. All. I’ve read your blog for years and never once have I thought your kids would be a bad influence. Quite the contrary really!
May 26th, 2011 at 2:44 pmLet’s face it. That mom sucks big old donkey dongs.
May 26th, 2011 at 2:49 pmI was all set to be “how judgmental!” about the woman who doesn’t like your son. And then I read your last sentence and smiled.
May 26th, 2011 at 3:00 pmI am trying to figure out how the length of kid’s hair would be among the factors for me banning him from my house, especially if I knew my kid wanted to play with him? Maybe if he had a head full of lice??
That is so stupid. I prefer short hair on a boy, and won’t let my boys grow their hair out long, or even shaggy; because, well, I have that control right now, lol. But I can’t imagine telling them they can’t be friends with a boy because his hair is too long.
May 26th, 2011 at 3:15 pmJust wow!
May 26th, 2011 at 3:16 pmThere is a lady in my neighborhood who is very judgmental of me and my teenager. She saw him and his then girlfriend at the pool and she was wearing a bikini. Not a skimpy one, but for crying out loud She has a perfect fifteen year old body. If I had her body I would wear a bikini to the pool. This neighbor hates me and my son because she didn’t approve of the choice of bathing suit the girl wore. Wow!
I also think you should drive past her house blaring “Signs” from Five Man Electrical Band:)
May 26th, 2011 at 3:18 pmHope she reads this
He can come play at my house anytime.
May 26th, 2011 at 3:29 pmIsn’t it amazing how stupid people can be? I proud of you for taking the high road and not stooping to her level. And like you said, your older boys took care of that!
May 26th, 2011 at 3:34 pmHa ha!
May 26th, 2011 at 3:47 pmYahoo, let’s hear it for the teenagers telling it like it is. I so hope this close-minded and judgmental person reads your blog AND the comments and comes to understand that changes are needed in order for her to be a better human being. Long hair is so far removed from who anyone is — much less a 10 year old. I would take 10 of him over one of “her”. Give that boy a hug for me and tell him I like and respect him just the way he is — long hair and all.
May 26th, 2011 at 3:47 pmWow, if this woman really does read your blog, she’s going to get a talking to today. But then maybe your son and his friend can play without hiding out in the backyard.
May 26th, 2011 at 3:51 pmBRAVO for your teens! I also hope she reads all this and feels like a freaking fool!
May 26th, 2011 at 4:48 pmThat mom is missing out on knowing your kind son. It’s too bad for her and her child because I’d totally let my kid hang out with your kid! I’m hopeful that she’ll come around. Greet her with a big ‘ol Texas smile!
May 26th, 2011 at 5:00 pmI hope that woman reads your post! Your son sounds exactly like the type of child I would want my children to hang out with.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:03 pmyes she is close minded and judgmental and I would have LOVED to hear/watch when your teenagers told her that! LOL! I think that’s what i’m upset about the most, having an only child, no siblings to stick up for him!
Chris says: Oh God my teenagers didn’t say that to her. I don’t even know who she is. And to be honest if they did say that to the woman I would be pretty upset with them for being rude. No, they told their brother to tell his friend that. In the hopes that he would in turn tell his mother.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:12 pmOMG! See, if I lived in your area and was that mother and read your blog all I would be able to think about is how can I get a chance to be Chris’ friend.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:25 pmI just laughed SO HARD. I mean, I’m really sorry your son had to go through that, but REALLY? I’m sure there are blogs somewhere in which the parents write in such a way as to make their sons seem like bad influences, but yours is not one of them. Eeesh.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:27 pmI am the petty sort. My son wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near THOSE PEOPLE! You are much more kind than I could ever be.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:47 pmRoger. Wilko. Copy that!! Let’s just hope she reads this post and recognizes herself. Sounds like you’ve a pretty dreamy child on your hands!
May 26th, 2011 at 5:50 pmI hope she read this!!!!!
May 26th, 2011 at 5:58 pmI’m just a mostly-lurking reader but it sounds to me like your son is actually fortunate not to get to play over there. That other boy’s family sounds like the bad influence. Making a child feel unwelcome and judged — ugh — what a way to treat others. I feel very sorry for the other kid having to be raised by parents like that.
May 26th, 2011 at 6:08 pmI wish there were more “bad” influences like your son. The world would be a better place if there were more kids like him <3
May 26th, 2011 at 6:25 pmChris I have read your blog for a long time, I just never comment. This one however ~ got the best of me. My son moved away from the town he was raised in and only comes home to see his Momma on the holidays, because of all the CLOSED MINDED SOB’s who live here. At first I thought he was just acting crazy, and then I started to watch people when we went somewhere. He is right, because his hair is long and he dresses like he lives in the “big city” or “at the beach”, and he does ……… they look at him funny and make comments. I wonder if any of those idiots ever recongize him in the magazines they read, and I wonder if the said above mentioned idiots every think about how they look at people who look different than them. My son will always be my son, and I don’t care if he has long hair or short, wears clothes that they have in the LA area or are still wearing the ones that we all wear in this “small town” we live in. Dont ever let someone else dictate to you or your beautiful children how to look or dress. I raised mine to be themselves, be kind, treat others the way you want to be treated and be who they are. I would also like to point out to those closed minded SOB’s who look at my precious boy funny ………. he makes between 5000 and 10000 at every photo shoot they call him out to. And you know why they call him? Because he has that long hair! I suppose some of them would be beside themselves if they went to his house and sit with some of the other “long haired freaky people” who just won the latest surf contest in Austrailia, or if they saw the long hair freaky kid teaching his little sister(who is 16) or his older sisters for that matter how to surf in the water they consider dangerous cause there is sharks. Last time he was home he took time to take pictures with a little boy cause he thought he was a pro surfer. My son is not a pro surfer, he is just a surfer who runs with some pro’s. He is well known where he lives, if you know where to look …… (and just to be clear he is NOT GAY or into PORN)
Look for the long hair blonde running with a surfboard in the background in the next commerical you see on the tv, or a surfer dude in the background riding a bike with a surfboard. You might recongize my long haired freaky boy in that commerical…………
May 26th, 2011 at 6:33 pmIt’s official. I love you and I want to be your bestie! I know you have one or several but I want to be one of them. Also you are pretty!
You crack me up and I disliked this “mother” when your son said that she thinks he is a bad influence. I won’t even touch on the fact that he has never been described in anything but a loving light. She needs the stick taken out of her ass!
On another note: Please high five your teens!
May 26th, 2011 at 7:57 pmThis is the best part about blogging, you can fix somebody’s butt by writing about them!
May 26th, 2011 at 8:08 pmSometimes teenagers are the BEST!!
May 26th, 2011 at 8:25 pmI’ve read your blog for what seems like forever. I have the exact opposite stance of this mother you speak of. I wish you’d move in next door, because I just know we’d be bff’s! My kids being friends with your kids would be a bonus! I was watching some crappy daytime talk show recently and they were saying how no one is ever accepted/liked by everyone. Even Michele Obama is getting attacked for trying to get Americas kids eating healthy and exercising! (How dare she!) Ok-my 2 glasses of wine point is that there will always be haters! That’s why I don’t have a blog, I’m terrified of haters! So thank you Chris for writing your blog and being a friend to all of us! If you ever signed off it’d be to me like Oprah ending her talk show! For real! Sent fromy iPhone and full of typos-sorry…
May 26th, 2011 at 8:53 pmThis. ^5!
May 26th, 2011 at 9:05 pmI hope she reads this! Love the last line…
May 26th, 2011 at 10:43 pmSo weird. I found out as an adult, that when we were kids one of my friends wasn’t allowed in my house because my parents were divorced and the mom wasn’t sure if there would be strange stuff going on. Um, what?
May 26th, 2011 at 10:49 pmBecause she reads your blog? Really? I have been reading for years and for years wished that I lived next door to you! (With drinks!)
Really? I mean, really?
What a word that I won’t even say.
Your son can come play at my house, hundreds of miles away, and I will make sure he can get a drink (non-alcoholic, of course), use the bathroom, and get to the hospital in case of an injury. Anytime he wants! He can even bring a skateboard!
Really. What. A. B&*tch. Ooops. I said it.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:15 pmTell her 1962 called. It wants its narrow-minded hangups about male hair length back.
But I can see where she’s coming from. I used to hate it when kind, well-mannered kids came to our house to play with my kids. HATE IT! Teaching them by good behaviour by example. It’s just not good enough.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:49 pmOh, Chris, good for you. One more daily struggle over which you will probably stress and worry but your son won’t, he will be be the better person because of you.
Lisa
May 26th, 2011 at 11:52 pmAwesome post! Judge not lest ye be judged….Asshats, that is what they are! Keep the faith! This too shall pass!
May 27th, 2011 at 12:00 amAs my own bad influences would say….”Ewwww…SNACK!” (AKA ooh snap.)
May 27th, 2011 at 12:19 amWow, not cool. How sweet that he wants to donate his hair! I think your kids seem really cool.
May 27th, 2011 at 12:24 amUnbelievable ! That women should be ashamed of herself…..
May 27th, 2011 at 12:44 amMy girls have a couple of friends that I don’t love all the time, but because they aren’t malicious or rotten, I would never say anything about it to them. I really don’t think parents should bad-talk their children’s friends because of their own personal hang-ups. In doing so, I’m not sure what image that gives the child…
May 27th, 2011 at 2:25 amHow bizarre. I can’t imagine anyone not liking your kids after reading this blog. I guess the only people i can imagine coming that conclusion are people i’d not particularly want to spend time around, or have my kids spend time around much, so maybe she’s done you a favour!? :/
May 27th, 2011 at 4:21 amHere’s hoping that she reads this post, is horribly embarassed and ashamed… and realises how incredibly unfair a statement like that is.
May 27th, 2011 at 5:22 amIts always interesting to me how adults/parents do the same judging and petty behaviors we teach our kids not to do. Once when my niece was missing her 2 front teeth, before her adult teeth grew in, a kid in her 2nd grade class told her “my mom thinks you look like a vampire” I didnt know whether to laugh or cry.
May 27th, 2011 at 8:43 amAwesome.
May 27th, 2011 at 9:37 amHe’s welcome at my house.
May 27th, 2011 at 12:02 pmSeriously? Did this woman ever like, *meet* your son before deciding she didn’t like him? If she just read your blog (which really has nothing negative about any of your kids, that one in particular) and decided she didn’t like the cut of his jib, that’s a little–harsh.
Also, not liking long hair on a boy? How sexist. It’s 2011, not 1911.
May 27th, 2011 at 12:51 pmSome adults are more childish then kids.
BTW, my 7 year old daughter wants to donate her hair too to Locks of Love.
May 27th, 2011 at 2:26 pmWe were friends with a family for five years, through the birth of their son, who arrived two years before my son. The boys are now 14 and 12, and the closest friends imaginable. Five years his mother stopped speaking to me because she discovered I was a Democrat. Um. She did not want our boys (they have five other sad shut-in children too) to be friends because what if I was a lesbian? Democrat = lesbian. But she relented and has allowed them to maintain the bff-ship all these years until last week when her other son, closer to my son’s age, became so incensed to have discovered a PASSOWRD (oh noes!) on his precious XBox, that he demanded my son take it off, since he does know how. When my son said he didn’t want to get involved, this child STABBED MY SON WITH A KNIFE FROM his pocket. Like, he bled. It’s a wound. His shirt is cut. His *new* distressed Dublin t-shirt. What did this mother do after the police came to assess the scene? Gave stabbing brother his knife back, shave the head of innocent brother (our bff, who valued his long hair like your kids), and banned the friendship forever. Did I mention STABBED? Over an XBox? I’m obviously changing my political affiliations immediately, this Democrat thing is hazardous. People suck.
May 27th, 2011 at 5:46 pmWow! I feel the opposite - I would love to have your kids play with mine! I know kids do crazy things, and yours are no exception, but they sure do seem like great kids from the stories you tell on your blog. Even if they DO have long hair!
May 27th, 2011 at 5:59 pmAwwwww….the beauty of siblings. Older siblings.
May 27th, 2011 at 6:31 pmHow incredibly unfortunate for everyone, especially since it seems that the kids have got it right- find people you like no matter what they look like, and treat them kindly. Too bad some parents didn’t learn that lesson. Besides, I thought your drug dealing was all int he past…!?!
May 27th, 2011 at 7:09 pmIf this person judges your son based on information in a blog, then perhaps it’s a good thing that they do not hang out. You must have an opinion based on experience - not what you read! From what I’ve read over the years, your kids seems to be an oddity (I think you just write about the good stuff anyway). I mean really, how many young siblings DO YOU know who have kids that try to excel in all they attempt, actually look out for one another, and God forbid LIKE each other occasionally? They also appear to be self sufficient. I mean really what kind of kids are you raising, where they may actually be able to care you? Keep doing what your doing. we could all be so lucky.
Chris says: you are right, I don’t write too much that is negative about my children. But there really isn’t that much negative to say. They are typical kids. I try to keep my focus on the good stuff.
May 27th, 2011 at 7:40 pmYour teenagers are wise;)
May 27th, 2011 at 10:58 pmI can’t imagine what he might have done that you have written here that would make him a bad influence…and I think all of your kids are stunningly beautiful (both the long and short-haired!) - I’m with you; if its clean, what does it matter? And I’m speaking as the parent of a child who’s been, shall we say…very experimental with her looks. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way they have any control over anything real in their lives. That woman can suck eggs!
June 1st, 2011 at 3:45 pmA problem with his hair?
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:37 am…
Sheesh!
I have been following your blog for years. You are a AWESOME mom and have wonderful chidren. From one mom to another (I have four sons 5-21 years old) do NOT give another thought to a person like this. They are not worth it. Keep up the GREAT blogging and your great job as a mom.
June 3rd, 2011 at 7:41 amGod bless
Joy
People are very close minded. For a mom/adult to hate a 10 year old is sad, unless he is the school bully (which reading your blog I don’t think he is) I don’t see the issue. Especially if the mother reads your blog - I’m going to guess she her self is jealous of your life and is taking it out on your son.
There is always one….
June 5th, 2011 at 1:24 pmChris, you know what’s funny? With my stepdaughters, I can think of a few moms over the years who told their daughter that they didn’t like my girls and didn’t want their child hanging around them.
TO A PERSON, those women’s daughters ended up doing unspeakable things, like becoming a heroin addict, running away to live with a boyfriend at 18, etc, while my stepdaughters turned out pretty darn great. I think that what has happened says FAR more about the other mom and her relationship with her child than you.
June 8th, 2011 at 5:07 pmIt’s the ultimate compliment for you then! Congrats.At least you’re aware that she’s a fan.
Too bad for your son though. I’m sure he can get tons of other friends with more open-minded mothers.
June 15th, 2011 at 4:21 pm