Jack Monroe #42

So sorry to make a sudden change ot topic, randomly, but was it the Shark Anti hair trappy hoover that got the thumbs up by this wise collective. I am in the market for a new vacuum cleaner.

Well, this was a fine week to be without internet. 3 threads . Thankfully I'm back online and off work. Grunka time.

Pocahontas said:

Exactly - my oldest reads a lot, always has done. He read The Hunger Games trilogy when he was 10 - some of my friends were REALLY disapproving of it, but I was like - if he wants to read it, why not? I’m not saying your kids should read it (although I spose it made them think about reading it and their parents didn’t want them to).

My son and I talked about the themes, etc. If anything, him reading books like that led him to read Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm - and we talked about them. Honestly, I’m just always happy to have a shared topic to discuss, as it’s less and less as he gets older!

Click to expand...

Babe - same. My first is an avid reader. He loved the Hunger Games, which he read when he was 10 or 11. I have a lot of thoughts around reading, but they mainly boil down to, just read. Learn. Disagree or agree. Laugh at stuff you find funny. Ponder things you hadn't considered. I also remember that I just read over bits I didn't really get when I was reading books that dealt with stuff above my level of comprehension.

The braying for blood really brings home to me how differently I was raised in the 80s and 90s. Lots of discussions around freedom of thought and freedom of speech. About how 'sticks and stones can break your bones but words will never hurt me'. I know that saying is somewhat problematic, BUT there is truth in it, too. I remember when my SB came home from school aged 6 and used several choice swear words. My instinct was to tell him off, because it sounded so awful coming out of his innocent mouth. Thankfully, something stopped me. We then talked about some of the words, I explained why people use them. I then told him these are the types of words he can think, but until he's an adult he shouldn't say them (he's almost teen now and let's just say, I've heard him talk to his mates on x-box. That rule clearly has gone out the window). My point is, we should all be allowed to think freely, to express our opinions, to talk about stuff. Making fun of 'fat people' is (in my opinion) not funny and somewhat distasteful, however, it's hardly hate speech.

FridayFunDay said:

I remember a raunchy Parr in The Fog getting passed around the school.

Books should not be censored.

Click to expand...

I read Lace (which of you bitches is my mother) Valley of The Dolls, and The Exorcist. I have never done anything dodgy with a goldfish, become hopelessly addicted to prescription medicone, or been possessed by demons.

No, my parents were not aware of what I was reading

colouredlines said:

I remember reading Duncton Wood when I was 10 or 11. It was full of mole sex written in a very erotic way...lots of claws raking along quivering flanks and so on.

I'm a bit tired of this Walliams witch hunt to be honest. My favourite Jack is Tin Can't Cook Jack. Get back to the inedible slop please!

Click to expand...

Mole sex?!
https://giphy.com/4cQSQYz0a9x9S

heretoreaditall2019 said:

what happened to lily? Has she disappeared?

Click to expand...

Madigan did disappear. Basically, a girl at Uni with them had to quit because Madigan began stalking her, and then Madigan kind of made a sexual advance (with penis) and then there was trouble. So Madigan deleted social media, stopped the Labour stuff, and now just is very quiet. They still study and were doing political talks at student politics societies, but it was much, much less than it was. Madigan was basically a fantasist - and lied about so much - and said they had every illness under the sun, just like Jack!

juju1895 said:

So sorry to make a sudden change ot topic, randomly, but was it the Shark Anti hair trappy hoover that got the thumbs up by this wise collective. I am in the market for a new vacuum cleaner.

Click to expand...

Yes ...
https://giphy.com/LSvB8JdEf4yascdXf1

Pocahontas said:

Yes ...
https://giphy.com/LSvB8JdEf4yascdXf1

Click to expand...

Much obliged.

juju1895 said:

So sorry to make a sudden change ot topic, randomly, but was it the Shark Anti hair trappy hoover that got the thumbs up by this wise collective. I am in the market for a new vacuum cleaner.

Click to expand...

The money saving email today- information about £50 off a shark vacuum. Not sure which model.

Duncton Wood has mole sex! Why didn’t I read it? What a waste of youth. Too busy rifling through my mum’s Cosmos, and reading ridiculous quizzes that then somehow tell you what kind of person you are - and therefore how to keep a man! I used to read all of my nan’s Mills & Boon, Jilly Cooper, and obvs Stephen King, Danielle Steele and was it Virginia Andrews? I’m starting to think my 10yo very avid reader can handle a bit more grit in his home library

Readingismyhobby said:

The money saving email today- information about £50 off a shark vacuum. Not sure which model.

Click to expand...

Just saw that myself. Here's the link for anyone that might be interested.

Slightly OT and apologies - I can sort of connect it on the sweary teens subplot -

I've recently found evidence that my son is being bullied. He has a "close" friend who's been bullying him about being so-called fat for some time now on and off but who thinks it's "jokes" and no big deal. Anyway, now a couple of other friends have been pulled in and they over the last few days have been messaging my son telling him over and over he's fat, nobody really likes him, he's a cry baby, can't spell, stupid, etc. My son is no angel and has said some stuff in return to all this that is way less than ideal, but I also figure that when you continually poke a dragon with a stick and then get others to do it too then at some point it's going to lash out. Idon't know what to do. It's out of school so I don't know whether to contact them (they have excellent pastoral support). I am raging but I'm also shit at confrontation.

Re her sexuality. She said that she came out as gay in her teens and then she went on to have a relationship with her sons dad. She also spoke (on mumsnet) about having lost a child before she had her son. I assume that she was being questioned about why she had a child in less than appropriate circumstances (not judging her for this).

What I don’t understand is why having been so miserable to the point of suicidal because she’s always known she was trans why she has now started identifying as female again.

Her son has been targeted already due to her coming out as trans. She said that he’s no longer at that school.

She also said that she had moved 18 times by then. I wonder what kind of abuse her child is going to get as he grows up because of her online behaviour (not that I’m wishing it on him, certainly not).

Wonder how long til the sideboard thot shots? In this essay I will...

choccydigestive said:

Slightly OT and apologies - I can sort of connect it on the sweary teens subplot -

I've recently found evidence that my son is being bullied. He has a "close" friend who's been bullying him about being so-called fat for some time now on and off but who thinks it's "jokes" and no big deal. Anyway, now a couple of other friends have been pulled in and they over the last few days have been messaging my son telling him over and over he's fat, nobody really likes him, he's a cry baby, can't spell, stupid, etc. My son is no angel and has said some stuff in return to all this that is way less than ideal, but I also figure that when you continually poke a dragon with a stick and then get others to do it too then at some point it's going to lash out. Idon't know what to do. It's out of school so I don't know whether to contact them (they have excellent pastoral support). I am raging but I'm also shit at confrontation.

Click to expand...

I'm so sorry to hear this, big hugs to you and your son. I would definitely speak to someone at the school, especially if as you say they have good support structures in place.

choccydigestive said:

Slightly OT and apologies - I can sort of connect it on the sweary teens subplot -

I've recently found evidence that my son is being bullied. He has a "close" friend who's been bullying him about being so-called fat for some time now on and off but who thinks it's "jokes" and no big deal. Anyway, now a couple of other friends have been pulled in and they over the last few days have been messaging my son telling him over and over he's fat, nobody really likes him, he's a cry baby, can't spell, stupid, etc. My son is no angel and has said some stuff in return to all this that is way less than ideal, but I also figure that when you continually poke a dragon with a stick and then get others to do it too then at some point it's going to lash out. Idon't know what to do. It's out of school so I don't know whether to contact them (they have excellent pastoral support). I am raging but I'm also shit at confrontation.

Click to expand...

That’s shit. Do you know their parents - is there any way you can contact them to discuss?

I know it’s difficult when it’s through messages / the Xbox chat - but the only thing I can suggest is contact their parents (if you know them) or protect your son from his phone (if possible, I know how possessive they can get)

Readingismyhobby said:

The money saving email today- information about £50 off a shark vacuum. Not sure which model.

Click to expand...

I'll look into it thank you. I'm busy! Making blackberry and apple crumble with tinned apples!

choccydigestive said:

Slightly OT and apologies - I can sort of connect it on the sweary teens subplot -

I've recently found evidence that my son is being bullied. He has a "close" friend who's been bullying him about being so-called fat for some time now on and off but who thinks it's "jokes" and no big deal. Anyway, now a couple of other friends have been pulled in and they over the last few days have been messaging my son telling him over and over he's fat, nobody really likes him, he's a cry baby, can't spell, stupid, etc. My son is no angel and has said some stuff in return to all this that is way less than ideal, but I also figure that when you continually poke a dragon with a stick and then get others to do it too then at some point it's going to lash out. Idon't know what to do. It's out of school so I don't know whether to contact them (they have excellent pastoral support). I am raging but I'm also shit at confrontation.

Click to expand...

So sorry to hear about all of this and particularly for your son given that kids at the moment are going through so much with homeschooling/ social distancing in classrooms. I would absolutely 100% take it up with school. These things can escalate really quickly and the pastoral department are equipped with dealing with (pretty much) any situation.
The last thing you want is this encroaching onto the summer holidays and making your son more sad... sending

It's always better to contact the school than parents directly. To get in touch with them to say 'your kid is picking on mine' is a one way ticket to a Mumsnet post about the massive row that ensued (where there will be at least one person suggesting if you put your child on a diet there wouldn't be a problem).

*hypnotised by Jamie's pelvis* ...what?

@choccydigestive Oh the bullies - School should definitely be involved because it is between kids at the same school. Can your son delete the messaging apps or block the boys concerned for the time being? I think blocking of all conduits of communication between them for now is the most important thing. They all need to cool down.