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Update to skid-stress-mas and a question about other skids

Lilywen's picture

Submitted by Lilywen on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 5:11am

First, to update: MIL refused to do transport for stepspawn 17. IH can't take off work and despite being 'idiot husband', he wasn't idiot enough to ask me. Where does that leave soon to join the military stepspawn? He has to take the big, scary choo choo train all by his wittle self.

I swear, the more IH talked to me about how worried everyone was about him the harder it became to not burst out in hysterical laughter... until...

I have a few family members on the police force in the city this pwecious widdle 6 ft tall infant is going to have to make his single transfer on his 2.5 hr epic journey. One is in a counter terrorism position and one is one of the highest ranking officials on the entire force. IH 'what do you think about having so-and-so or so-and-so meet spawn when his train gets in and walk with him to get him where he needs to go?'. Nope, couldn't contain myself. I started choking, I was laughing so hard. He actually asked 'if they are on duty' and if they could 'just run over to the train station'. That's right, folks... can high ranking or anti terror police officers just slip away from their posts to hold a 17yr old snowflake's hand while he navigates the big, scary train station?

When I burst out laughing, IH was clearly confused. He asked me how I would feel if our DDs were riding the train alone. Um, they are 3 and 1 so... But lets just say they were 17. I would hope that for all the effort in parenting I will have put in over the course of 17 years that they would be able to read and follow signs, recognize who in a public place you can ask for assistance, or (gasp) call me on the cell phone they have that teens always have their little hands glued to. Good GAWD IH.

Second, I am curious, what are some of the best examples of how your delicate and fragile COD skids have been babied?

Oh, and in case anyone is worried, BM called and when she heard that my family is 'too selfish' to swoop spawn up in a swaddle and carry him from James the shiny red train to Thomas the little tank engine she said she has 'a friend' who is also an officer and would be 'glad to help'.

Comments

lieutenant_dad's picture

Submitted by lieutenant_dad on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 5:22am

Let's see...at 17, I drove to Chicago with my XH and we navigated the city for the day. At 18, took a bus up California from San Diego to Disney Land, and walked to and around TJ at night and managed to not get abducted (that may have been luck). Travelled multiple times to Tennessee. Made a trip to South Carolina at 19.

Seriously, I'm just in awe that a 17 year old who is joining the military isn't willing to travel alone. Parents put notes pinned to their 10 year old's lapel and fly them across country. So long as he has a cell phone, he can call and talk to BM, IH, and the rest of his family for 2.5 hours so he never feels alone. I just can't grasp why this is so hard.

oneoffour's picture

Submitted by oneoffour on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 6:39am

Oh you are a brave woman with wonderful self control, I would have blurted out .... so he cannot work his way around a train station so how the h3ll will he survive in Naval boot camp? I mean he may have to get his feet wet or fall off the side of a ship. He is 17 yrs old. Time to grow the f up.
OK I can get we feel concerned when our kids are travelling. Right now my daughter is en route across the Pacific ocean to spend Christmas with us. She is 35 and there is always a slight level of stress. But since my kids were teens they have travelled alone. My other daughter flew from the USA to Australia and NZ for a vacation with only her friend for company. DD was 16 and her friend was 15. The worst thing on the trip was turbulence coming home. Oh and customs in the USA that questioned them at length why they were unaccompanied. DD has flown MANY time and had this down pat.

Ninji's picture

Submitted by Ninji on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 6:41am

I grew up in a very very small town in OH. Like no stop lights small town. When I turned 18, I rode the Gray Hound from small town to Cleveland OH to stay with my grandmother. My male cousin picked me up. He said the guy standing a little ways off from me had been leering at me the entire time he was walking over. He told the guy to fuck off and the guy ran off.

I don't know if the guy was going to try and rob me or what, but I was 98lbs and very young and naïve looking. I didn't even notice the guy.

I understand that you don't want to help skid. To each his own. But if SS has been sheltered like I was, I can see his parents being worried.

That being said, we can only grow up and learn these new skills when our parents give us the space to do so.

KittyKatMomma's picture

Submitted by KittyKatMomma on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 7:05am

My SD16 has spent plenty of time in NYC and Philadelphia with friends.
Thankfully she's got an amazing contraption called a smart phone and on that phone there is an app with MAPS-and a voice that tells you where you need to go and how to get there.
(Did i mention she's only 16? and there were no adults with these able bodied children?)

At 17 I was traveling up and down between NJ/De/PA/NY with my friends-even spending weekends at the Jersey shore.

Snowflake can survive a train station

hereiam's picture

Submitted by hereiam on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 7:07am

BM has always treated my SD26 like she can't do anything but that's to keep her dependent on her. DH, thank God, has never coddled her. He wanted her to grow up independent and able to fend for herself. Unfortunately, that really didn't happen.

Amazingly, when SD was 18, she traveled to Germany with an infant, all by herself (her husband was stationed there). So, she just might not be as helpless as she lets on. She was scared but I told her to ask security or an airport employee if she needed help. She had never flown, never been anywhere, certainly not by herself.

Parents like your SS's and my SD's BM are doing their kids a great disservice. I sincerely hope that your SS is able to break free of that helplessness in the Navy. Sink or swim, aye?

witch.hazel's picture

Submitted by witch.hazel on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 8:54am

My 18 year old has been traveling alone since the age of 7. Since the age of 16 he has been navigating flight changes, airports, trains and train stations completely alone. He refuses any help.

ntm's picture

Submitted by ntm on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 12:57pm

When I was 15, I flew by myself from SF CA to Albany NY with a transfer in O’Hare. All 5 feet, 88 pounds of me. I was too old to have any airline personnel assigned to me. So it was me and my ability to think for myself.

WTF...REALLY's picture

Submitted by WTF...REALLY on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 1:28pm

“Can you call someone and have them guide me into the right spot”

Mooooommmmmmmm....dddaaaddddd....hhheeellllppp

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Submitted by Aniki-Moderator on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 3:57pm

I'd really like to guide the SDs and PigPen right back into BioHo's nasty womb. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a biohazard or nuclear waste suit powerful enough to sustain life that close to the toxic hole...

lintini's picture

Submitted by lintini on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 4:00pm

My husband wouldn't put SS15 at the time on a train for the weekend visits to save him 12 hours in the car. It would have been a almost 3 hour trip by train....1 train.... down and back and would cost us 70$ for the weekend. Well worth our 12 hours to not drive.

Dh was scared to put 6'2" snowflake on the train, someone might kidnap him.

Seriously though, the kid has NO common sense so I'm sure he'd have gotten off on the wrong spot or slept through his station.

So, the next year we ended up moving an hour away from SS so DH is still the human shuttle.