7 Kids are fun++

[nottoogreen]

This journal is about seven kids my gf and me look after at various times.

Introduction to the cast.

• Stephan: He is five, our son, this year, he stays in the same village as his granddad until being with us next year for better schooling.
• Lin: She is seven, she stays mostly with her mom in the same village, my gf's sister, who also helps look after Stephan. She may stay with us next year for better schooling.
• Jan: He is nine, stays with us. Jan's mother is married in Europe and sees him once a year or so. Jan's mother has no interest in the child but her husband supports Jan and cares more about him.
• Cleo: She is eight, our daughter and stays with us.
• Uli: He is nine, Lin's brother, stays with us.
• Mac: He is eleven, Mac's mother is married in the US and sees him once a year or so and is not very interested in the child but calls frequently, her husband does not like the child at all.
• Fang: She is almost fifteen, my gf's daughter, stays with us but shares an apartment accross the road with some of the aforementioned kids as they please. There is a TV too.

Lin and Stephan visit us most weekends, some holidays. Jan, Cleo, Uli. Mac go to the village 20 km away on holidays or weekends. Depends on what they like. Fang lives very independently, comes to eat, plays games or the Internet.

Jan and Mac never met their fathers. Fang's father is married to a woman who keeps him under tight control and both are not overly friendly to Fang. He does not provide much financial support. Lin's and Ulis's dad is married with their mom in the same village and they provide financial support and are interested in all kids.

I refer to my gf also as Mimi and myself as Didi.

[vandgsmom]

I am so confused.

So your children stay in another village, but you have others children staying with you? I would go nuts (or more nuts as you prefer it)...

[nottoogreen]

The first tale is on us figuring out how come Stephan tries to play all blank CDR's he can find and why he tried to go down on his sister in the bath room a few months ago. We pieced it together last night. He stays in the village and my gf's brother stays there as well. It seems the brother got a collection of porn CD's, copied on CDR of course. We will have a word or two with him.

[nottoogreen]

vandgsmom: Please consider the possibilities in society if most people would look after any kids who are in need of care. Or if families would be as connected and as practical as ours.

Next tale

Two weeks ago, one of Fang's classmates(16) gave birth, Fang appearing all shocked (to her mom) talked to her mom that she does not want any bf. I grinned about it and later told her mom "will see how long it lasts".

Last week, Fang told mom, she does not want a local bf, but an European. Mom said, OK, no problem I help you find when 18. When told later by her mom, I replied something along the lines of "will see how long it lasts".

Yesterday night, my gf wanted to talk to me now when I was here posting. She told me that Fang has a boyfriend. Mom asked whether anything happened, Fang said nothing happened. They kept talking and fang mentioned that her bf told her that her mom looked more beautiful than Fang. And that she needs some money to buy some cream.

When told this, the whole story connected in my head. and inspired this thread.

[lilac_indi]

there ya go!

[nottoogreen]

Mimi does not really believe me.

What do you think about Fangs skills to manage her mom?

[vandgsmom]

How funny. What kind of face cream did she want? I will send her some...

NTG: I wasn't commenting on the social order, only that as a parent it would physically rip me apart to be away from my children; especially if I had to be exposed to other children to remind me every second. For two years I raised my cousins 2 almost infants. I had them from 3 mos & 18 mos until they were 2yr3mos and 3yr6mos. I cared for them like they were my own because it needed to be done, and because I would hope others would do the same for me if I needed it. I commend you, I was only slightly confused by the initial rundown...

[nottoogreen]

How funny. What kind of face cream did she want? I will send her some...

No idea, will figure it out, wanna spoil her?

NTG: I wasn't commenting on the social order, only that as a parent it would physically rip me apart to be away from my children; especially if I had to be exposed to other children to remind me every second.

I used to travel a lot and am used to it. Stephan's and Lin's mom's handle it too. Somehow here it feels natural, we help each other, kids are kids.

I find it so easy to connect with kids. I remember a flight into HK (12 hrs or so) when a boy (11 or 12) on the forward row moved behind on the empty seat next to me because his parents were bored and annoyed with him. They only wanted to Shhhhh him and were not happy he sat with me either. We chatted, he played with my computer, me with his gameboy. He cried upon landing. He might have left his parents right there.
For two years I raised my cousins 2 almost infants. I had them from 3 mos & 18 mos until they were 2yr3mos and 3yr6mos. I cared for them like they were my own because it needed to be done,
[/QUOTE]Just as we do.

and because I would hope others would do the same for me if I needed it.

Here they did, they looked after me in my darkest times to the best of their ability.

Thus I have plenty to give, here where I live and here on eNotAlone.

I commend you, I was only slightly confused by the initial rundown...

Thank you! and yes I am used to confusing everyone most the time.

[nottoogreen]

Uli and Mac are typical boys, play mostly with other boys, like soccer, are a bit rougher on other kids.

Jan on the other hand likes to cook, plays mostly with girls and their dolls, he is soft and kind.

Some people in the village talk about Jan being gay, his grandma and Uli's dad talked to him like that as well. It upsets me as I feel that it is invalid to influence a child in this way. Cleo and Mac and perhaps others picked the talk up as well and treat(ed) him accordingly. We are teaching them and work on undoing the damage.

Jan seems to accept more that he is a boy but in school he seems more isolated (hangs out alone) since we approached the issue and kids there treat him like a gay, but he does not want to play with girls anymore but can't connect with boys/they do not let him. Just discussed it, we will talk to his teachers.

My objective is for Jan to be eventually able to choose his sexuality and not being forced into the issue at this time.

What are your thoughts?

[nottoogreen]

Cleo is Eurasian. She is rather pretty, popular model one could say. As an (breast fed) infant, scouts chatted her mom up in a shopping centre to recruit Cleo for starring in can-food advertisemnts. Breast fed baby advertising can food. I would have none of it.

Cleo is also a very good student and enjoys by way of her grades free schooling.

She loves everything Barbie, cute. I once read on the web about Barbie-Linux, I thought great idea only to find out that it was a hoax.

She does allright with computers, run by GNU/Linux of course, chats a bit already - I can't read it, fortunately?