Proud dads...

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  • Nairn2

    Got home last week to see a small kids scooter-thing in the kitchen. I was a bit miffed, as I'd wanted to buy one for my daughter, but as I look to my partner, I see her face tells me that she's not happy about this either. Turns out she'd been chatting with a friend a few days prior, saying something like "We're looking forward to getting [NAIRNSPAWN] a scooter", which set off entirely the wrong bulb in the friend's head, so she turned up a couple of days later with one in hand. She'd depackaged it and put it together, and brought it to a socially-distanced meet-up in the park, and I entirely appreciate how she thought that this was a lovely thing to do. But now I can't choose a scooter for my daughter.

    I'd been looking forward to for months - she's just about at that right stage to have one.

    Bunch of fucker.

    It's not a bad scooter, but it's not great either, and certainly not what I'd've chosen for her (it's pink, for a start).

    I thought I'd managed to accientally break it the other night, when re-setting the height, but it turns out I hadn't. I can't forgive purposefully breaking something just to buy another - that's... not Gaia-friendly, man.

    What to do?

    • "Just buy another" is the obvious answer - but then what about friend's feelings? Personally, I just want to say to her "thanks, but you REALLY shouldn't've"Nairn
    • Replace with the one you like and make something up. It's not a puppy, it's a scooter.ben_
    • But partner, who's childhood friend it is, doesn't want to hurt feelings yadda yadda, whilst her own feelings are hurt.
      Humans are such pussies.
      Nairn
    • Donate the pink one to charity and tell your friend your daughter has better taste than they gave her credit for.ben_
    • hahaha @ last noteNairn
    • Ah no hurt feelings, got it. If their feelings are hurt over a fucking scooter, well...ben_
    • ffs stop being so precious - she's not going to hate you because her scooter came from someone other than papa.hans_glib
    • when she grows out of /breaks it you can get her the gold plated one you want.hans_glib
    • Aye, for sure - that's why i'd like to, in my own polite but blunt Northern way just explain things, and then we can have 6 months of 2 scooters beforeNairn
    • We've had some success with donating all the bright pink and flashing toys to local charities... friends and family can't seem to help themselves and we've runben_
    • ...the pink one goes to a charity shop.
      I just don't get why someone would do that. It's like the modern equivalent of a first bike, especially in London.
      Nairn
    • out of excuses that make them feel good. We're spending money on having her in a Montessori school, so they just have to understand, I guess.ben_
    • @hans - not sure why my daughter would hate me for this. you seem to miss the point that I wanted to choose this myself, with my partner. It was A Thing for us.Nairn
    • Presumably that's what my partner told her friend, and which then got misconstrued.Nairn
    • i don't get why someone would do that either, maybe she thinks you're too poor? *trollfacehans_glib
    • worry, not, we had multiple scooters at the same time (still have for youngest). They don't last long, especially the pinks ones :)fadein11
    • Just be honest and explain you're thankful, but had a different one in mind for your kid.aliastime
    • have a cool one, and the 'Disney Princess' one for indoor use lolfadein11
    • But let's cut to the chase... scooters should be banned. Skateboard, Bike, Unicycle, Land Skis, Wiggle Turtles? yep.ben_
    • wtf's a Wiggle Turtle?!Nairn
    • https://www.youtube.…ben_
    • ride or die, bitch.ben_
    • https://www.youtube.… - sorry, with soundtrack intact.ben_
    • !
      I saw a kid on a variant of this with an electric motor in the back of it. A wee ~7 year old, tearing up the local park. Envy doesn't describe what i felt.
      Nairn
    • This type of thing drives me CRAZY. My in laws are always buying us stuff, but it's stuff I want to buy, and it's never what I would have chosen exactly. :(monospaced
    • Learning to set boundaries with others is a valuable life skill.noRGB
    • Sometimes it isn’t worth the trouble.monospaced
    • A little late to this, but have two scooters. Friends will need one to ride. We have 3 and they all get used.lemmy_k
    • It's been 2 months, what did you do?lemmy_k
    • So far, nothing. Getting the most use out of it 'til I can pop to a very local skate/etc store post lockdown with kid in tow so we can choose together.Nairn
    • tbf, it DOES have wheels that light up when they spin, which kid loves, so .. yeah. Oh well. It's fine enough for now, even if i loathe it.Nairn
    • Yeah, light up wheels are the bees knees for little kids. Kids happy and that's what matters.lemmy_k
  • CALLES19

  • mg3337

    My daughter turned six yesterday. :)

    • A day unfortunately overshadowed by the chaos in DC. It was nice for her to be home and tune the news out and focus on her special day.mg33
    • Happy birthday and congrats! My son older son turned 6 on Jan. 3.nocomply
    • Such a great age - I loved this time with my kidsGnash
    • congrats! Mine is turning 7 tomorrowzaq
    • Mine turned 3 on New Year’s Eve.monospaced
    • she has my eyesutopian
    • :)utopian
    • My daughter just returned to college in British Columbia.boobs
    • Congrats!!OBBTKN
    • Happy birthday!
      I can’t even imagine how hard it can be to isolate her from these things to feel good when there’s enough trouble in the long run.
      sted
    • Her eyes tell that you’ve done a good job :)
      Congrats
      sted
    • congrats!oey_oey
  • palimpsest9



    2 Timothy 3:14

    • 2015
      2020
      palimpsest
    • Glad to see this in plus votes. Shame on whoever DV'd this initially.Nairn
    • +1 cool shots
      2 sons named Timothy?
      futurefood
    • I ain't even mad, that's how we roll!palimpsest
    • Sweet :)Gnash
    • Some of you might remember the 1st one. It's a repost.
      : )
      palimpsest
    • I liked it then, too :)Gnash
    • Recently moved to Prague. I miss the Pyrenees but the amount of trails close by and accessible by public transportation is amazing. We head out every weekend.palimpsest
    • Oh, you cunt. I fucking love Prague. If only I were 15 years younger, and a different person, I'd move there in a heartbeat.Nairn
    • Prague is amazing. Best of luck, thereGnash
    • The funny thing is that we never visited Prague before moving here. We arrived in the middle of the lockdown so I still can't say I know Prague.palimpsest
  • fisheye4

    • "Dont post your children on the internet. Creeps are many"
      wtf
      Nairn
    • Sorry, that's from the comments in the above indirect imgur link. I didn't say that myself. I mean, I did, but quoting whoever originally posted it...Nairn
  • microkorg8

    Nairn,

    You don't have to explain anything to kids,they just get it!

    My wife (chinese) talks to the kids (3.5 & 1.5) in Mandarin and I talk to them in Scottish ('Scottlish' according to our eldest). They jump between the two languages naturally and depending who they are talking to. They know to speak chinese when talking to my wifes family and to switch to scottlish when talking to my family or anyone out and about in scotland.

    Over xmas last year my wife and the kids went to china for 6 weeks so she could catch up with family. Our eldest went with a basic knowledge of mandarin but came back fluent. When i met them at the airport she was apprehensive about talking 'scottlish' with me and it took her about a week to relearn or get confident again with the english she knew.

    She knows that my mandaring is negligible and always translates for me :) "mummy told us that we should....."

    Kids are fucking amazing, their brains are little sponges that soak up so, so much!

    • How did you get on with their very earliest years? I feel like I'm confusing her when I state something in English, which she's learned in something in Italian.Nairn
    • Just run with it. Dont try to differentiate between the languages. Talk tothe wee one in both languages and they just get it! theyll know that daddy...microkorg
    • ..doesnt understand italian. and if they want water and are saying it in italian and you dont understand, they'll learn that and workaround and communicate..microkorg
    • ..another way :)microkorg
    • Our youngest comes out with chinese words i dont know and when he realises i dont know he'll try to make me understand. its amazing.microkorg
    • That's exactly my worry, thanks
      x
      Nairn
    • Same experience here. Just go with it, kids figure it outGnash
    • i know couples that live in a country but are both from different countries themselves. 4 yo kids can speak three languages fluent for their age...crazyoey_oey
    • been noticing this with my kids (both teens)
      my wife's Indian, and she's also a french teacher.. so she's always encouraged the kids languages etc...
      exador1
    • neither kids have gotten very good with Malayalam (my wife's parents language) but they give it their best shot lolexador1
    • but I've noticed in the past few weeks, my kids have gotten AMAZING with french...
      my daughter is in grade 12 and about to graduate highschool, and
      exador1
    • it's amazing to watch my daughter just have these long involved conversations in french with her mom :) so awesome...exador1
    • and my son, eager to not be outdone lol, is doing great at it too... it's lovely to see :)exador1
  • maquito12


    My boy playing with my best friend’s kids. Ahhh! Glorious.

  • CALLES0
  • CALLES0
  • BonSeff10

  • mg335

    Got some pics of my son and I yesterday when I was testing out some lights. He's been really anti-dad lately and he's a moody little 3 year old, but he was really excited to get his picture taken and give me a good smile.

  • Nairn9

    So I'm like 19 months into having a small, irritating midget dictate the entiriety of my existence, and this month I'm doing most of the daytime care, but when i leave her at 4pm-ish to go to work I am totally fucking cut up and teary-eyed when that daft little twat says "Bai-bai" and waves me off.

    It is unnerving how strongly i feel for this tiny little midget twat.

    • You are in a lovely period now, her personality is emerging, golden times mate. Enjoy. I was so emotional all the time, never cried so much hahafadein11
    • This is when it gets amazing. Their heart melting sayings and isms only get better from here. Mine is nearing 3 and I melt every time he says “daddy I love you”monospaced
    • It really balances the ramped up emotions, defiance and frustrations that happen for the next couple years. Enjoy!monospaced
    • Last night my eldest (3.5) came out with "Maybe one day [her Younger brothers name] will be a daddy?". "Yes if he wants to be i replied..."microkorg
    • ..."You'll be dead though" she replies. I'm left in shock waiting to wipe her ass after being on the potty.microkorg
    • Ouch, memories. Enjoy every day, those little you' grow fast!!OBBTKN
    • My brother recently had a kid (well, his partner did) and I trotted out the "Enjoy every moment!" trope, realising just how fucking fast it all goes.Nairn
    • ..then went on to explain that Actually, Seriously - Do! Every cunt says it, and every cunt really means it, because it'they change so quickly.Nairn
  • ayport21

    The kid decided he wanted to study filming after he leaves for school. So, I've been spending this year teaching him how to handle a camera, lighting, etc. Today I didn't need to teach him anything and I was his lighting guy... Really proud.

    Got lucky and found our fuzzy reflection in one of the videos we shot. Priceless.

  • Nairn0

    Any duel-language parents here?

    If so, I'm curious to know how you dealt with describing two (+) languages alongside each other.

    My Italian is terrible, but helping her is helping me too. My Italian vocabulary for entirely random animals is quite commendable.

    I try and describe every new concept in ‘Mamma's Language’ and ‘Daddy's Language’.

    • She's 26.Nairn
    • lol ‘duel-language’.

      Fuck you, Freud.
      Nairn
    • my father speaks racist and his wife is fluent in ignorant. i cry a lot. i hope that helps.imbecile
    • hahahahaNairn
    • I'm portuguese, she's german. I speak portuguese with our daughter. she speaks german. we speak to each other daily stuff in german. serious stuff in englishoey_oey
    • Mom makes some exceptions using portuguese words that my parents used with our daughter.oey_oey
    • Why "Serous stuff in English"?
      I'm so weirded out when I hear couples from different places here in LDN, speaking Enlish with each other.
      Nairn
    • I mean,it;s lovely - linga franca and all that - but it feels odd for me to place myself in that dynamic.Nairn
    • I speak enough Spanish to get along in a conversation, but right now we are focusing on French, which my wife speaks. She's so young she just likes learning.ben_
    • @Nairn: because of three reasons 1) fairness cause it's for both a neutral language and my German which is still good is not enough to be at her leveloey_oey
    • cause she's finishing her PhD in German Studies and her job is in the Literature institute at the local University.oey_oey
    • 2) My English is sounding more and more like Arnold 3) She wants to better her English and the extra reason: we need a secret language cause of our kid ;-)oey_oey
  • Nairn0

    After she helped me empty the washing I let my guard down for a minute or two but I've just had to say to my daughter "Dear, please don't eat the washing machine" after I turned to see her chomping on the rubber door seal. Strange child.

    • She's 26.Nairn
    • 2.6 u say?sted
    • hahaha! this she's 26 thing totally kills me.oey_oey
  • robotinc25

    I get to join the club!

    Maximilian, 8lbs 22in and he and mom are both in excellent health.

    @whathefunk I now recognize the kp swaddle

    • Welcome to child ownership!

      : )
      ideaist
    • Congratulations little buddha :)
      And a great name too! (That or Maxwell were my options if we'd had a boy)
      Nairn
    • Congratszaq
    • Nice!stoplying
    • congrats!PonyBoy
    • congratsutopian
    • congrats!renderedred
    • congrats!bezoar
    • !!!!moldero
    • Congrats!duckseason
    • Whooooop! CongratsPhanLo
    • welcome and congrats! :-)oey_oey
    • bravo!api
    • Congrats!Krassy
    • Congrats and cool name for the lil dudeRamanisky2
    • Nice, congrats bud! Embrace the infant stage, they grow so quickly! We're on week 21 - it's flown by...whatthefunk
    • Max is almost as cool a name as scarabin. Congrats!scarabin
    • Congratsgarbage
    • Welcome to the jungle!ben_
    • Watch it bring you to your shun n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n knees, kneesDRIFTMONKEY
    • bravoneverscared
    • Congrats!Gnash
    • Congrats and welcome! It's a sweet ride. My only tip: Get a new Spotify & Netflix user.maquito
    • Congrats! With luck you’ll get to sleep a full night in 4 months... I did :)dmay
  • fooler8

    I took my boys, (Aged 9 & 5) fishing for the first time today.
    Besides spending more time detangling lines, breaking up fights, and telling them not to use the net on your brothers head... we caught 5 Rainbow trout all 11-15". Can't wait to smoke them up for dinner tomorrow.

    • That's awesome! We only get trout here in Mar-Apr after they stock the rivers. Enjoy!stoplying
    • Wow, you caught more on your first trip than my son and I have caught in all of our trips. Lollemmy_k
  • pango12

  • BonSeff23

    Early father's day action


  • Nairn2

    Partner's just sent me some photos of the bairn in some clothes my folks bought her, so I can report back to them.

    Clothes look lovely, and my partner's a better photographer than I am (really, not hard at all - I suck at taking photos).

    Except.. it's a photo taken in the kitchen and the floor is a bit less than spotless. Now, do I ask her to take another photo, or do I spend awhile in photoshop, clone-stamping out all the bits of glob?

    I sodding mopped that floor but two days ago too - children are disgusting creatures.

    Can't have my folks having confirmation of every suspicion I no doubt feel they have about our living in squalour... .

    (Our daughter recently discovered the joys of soil in plantpots, and the kitchen leads right out into our wee back garden, so it's right i nthe firing line...)

    • Ha! I had a friend that wanted me to PS out all the mold on his bathroom tile from this cute picture of his kid taking a bubble bath in the tub...fooler
    • I told him it would be quicker and easier for him just to clean his bathroom once and awhile. It was disgustingly dirty!
      I'm sure yours is fine.
      fooler
    • Your folks were once parents with young kids. They'll understand.Morning_star