Red Mosquito

verb_to_trust wrote:So, forcing cat identity? Fascinating.

Axl has always been ahead of his time.

dad wrote:i think, and i'm sure a lot of us here think, that his trolling is ridiculous and unnecessary. it is. however, behind that troll is someone who's likely insecure about a lot of things.

and someone who genuinely misses their pet, and that bit of vulnerability is coming through here...even in an attempt at trolling.

I found this pretty moving. Good post, dad.

anyway this thread is written as if there are no good answers, and there are

if my kid was a (non-sexual) furry, or catkin (a subcategory of otherkin), I would trust them to understand that this isn't the same as being trans, but I support whatever they do as long as it's not hurting anyone; then I would suggest groups, online and IRL, where they could meet like-minded kids, and I'd go with them to buy cat-themed stuff; I would explain there are issues to buying / using a litter tray before they're a consenting adult, but costumes / onesies are cute and fun, and if anyone at school bullies them for saying "I am a cat, meow", they'll have me to answer to

Yeah those are responses to someone who earnestly identifies as feline.

This is more of a parenting thread for when your kid is trying to make a fool out of you.

I would (try to) ignore them, knowing that they likely heard transphobic jokes at school and think being trans and ID-ing as a cat are the same; my parenting style would be positive affirmation and no attention when said child was trolling

verb_to_trust wrote:Yeah those are responses to someone who earnestly identifies as feline.

This is more of a parenting thread for when your kid is trying to make a fool out of you.

kids are constantly testing the boundaries, and more often than not, that means you (the parent) might look foolish.

there is literally no handbook or guide to this job, even if and when the job is listening to your kids about identity. you have to be open or you'll likely push them away.

i personally don't want that.

dad wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:Yeah those are responses to someone who earnestly identifies as feline.

This is more of a parenting thread for when your kid is trying to make a fool out of you.

kids are constantly testing the boundaries, and more often than not, that means you (the parent) might look foolish.

there is literally no handbook or guide to this job, even if and when the job is listening to your kids about identity. you have to be open or you'll likely push them away.

i personally don't want that.

you're a good dad, dad

Ms Harmless wrote:

dad wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:Yeah those are responses to someone who earnestly identifies as feline.

This is more of a parenting thread for when your kid is trying to make a fool out of you.

kids are constantly testing the boundaries, and more often than not, that means you (the parent) might look foolish.

there is literally no handbook or guide to this job, even if and when the job is listening to your kids about identity. you have to be open or you'll likely push them away.

i personally don't want that.

you're a good dad, dad

thanks!

for the record, i was kidding about giving my kids wet cat food.

verb_to_trust wrote:

spike wrote:

dad wrote:

wease wrote:Unfortunately dad, this isn’t the case. It’s more of verb’s douchebaggery spilling over from the transgender thread in which he equates transgender people to those who say they are cats.

that may well be the case, wease.

i think, and i'm sure a lot of us here think, that his trolling is ridiculous and unnecessary. it is. however, behind that troll is someone who's likely insecure about a lot of things.

and someone who genuinely misses their pet, and that bit of vulnerability is coming through here...even in an attempt at trolling.

Are you suggesting verb has been using a litter box?

I donated all my cat stuff. It hurt to have it around. I have her ashes, a painting of her a photo book and a small beaver toy she liked best. That's it.

My girlfriend and I have very different ways of grieving. When we lost Dexter, I wanted to commemorate him with a picture in my living room. I sometimes still watch videos of him playing with Dee Dee. I want to keep him part of my life somehow. She can't bear to see him or even think about him, even now 3 months later. It's been a point of some friction

Even if you take the right approach at home you have the school to worry about though. Think the PE teacher from Beavis and Butt-Head stepping into this type of situation.

You really shouldn’t live your life based on how assholes might treat you

Jorge wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:

spike wrote:

dad wrote:

wease wrote:Unfortunately dad, this isn’t the case. It’s more of verb’s douchebaggery spilling over from the transgender thread in which he equates transgender people to those who say they are cats.

that may well be the case, wease.

i think, and i'm sure a lot of us here think, that his trolling is ridiculous and unnecessary. it is. however, behind that troll is someone who's likely insecure about a lot of things.

and someone who genuinely misses their pet, and that bit of vulnerability is coming through here...even in an attempt at trolling.

Are you suggesting verb has been using a litter box?

I donated all my cat stuff. It hurt to have it around. I have her ashes, a painting of her a photo book and a small beaver toy she liked best. That's it.

My girlfriend and I have very different ways of grieving. When we lost Dexter, I wanted to commemorate him with a picture in my living room. I sometimes still watch videos of him playing with Dee Dee. I want to keep him part of my life somehow. She can't bear to see him or even think about him, even now 3 months later. It's been a point of some friction

It gives me a lot of comfort to look over and see the painting in my living room. It's not huge or anything. It sits on a small easel next to her ashes, the book and the beaver. The painting was something that was gifted to me by my sister when she was still alive and even captured this little fleck in her right eye.

verb_to_trust wrote:Even if you take the right approach at home you have the school to worry about though. Think the PE teacher from Beavis and Butt-Head stepping into this type of situation.

if my kid has the opportunity to kick their PE teacher in the nuts sans consequences, I want a front-row seat.

dad wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:Even if you take the right approach at home you have the school to worry about though. Think the PE teacher from Beavis and Butt-Head stepping into this type of situation.

if my kid has the opportunity to kick their PE teacher in the nuts sans consequences, I want a front-row seat.

GO AHEAD! KICK ME IM THE JIMMY!

verb_to_trust wrote:

dad wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:Even if you take the right approach at home you have the school to worry about though. Think the PE teacher from Beavis and Butt-Head stepping into this type of situation.

if my kid has the opportunity to kick their PE teacher in the nuts sans consequences, I want a front-row seat.

GO AHEAD! KICK ME IM THE JIMMY!

i'm sorry about your cat, verb.

dad wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:

dad wrote:

verb_to_trust wrote:Even if you take the right approach at home you have the school to worry about though. Think the PE teacher from Beavis and Butt-Head stepping into this type of situation.

if my kid has the opportunity to kick their PE teacher in the nuts sans consequences, I want a front-row seat.

GO AHEAD! KICK ME IM THE JIMMY!

i'm sorry about your cat, verb.

Thanks. It's getting easier. Its amazing how strong our love for a pet can be.

I lost a mantis last weekend, cried all day

tree_ wrote:You really shouldn’t live your life based on how assholes might treat you

some people have no choice

Ms Harmless wrote:I lost a mantis last weekend, cried all day

I didn't know they could be pets. A few years ago I went to lunch and there was a beautiful mantis on my side mirror. I drove away thinking he would just fly off. Instead, the mantis started crawling all over my windshield. A wild ride. I managed to find a wooded area, pulled over and got him to jump on a stick. I secured him in what I felt was an appropriately mantisy shrub and drove off.

I still think about that mantis sometimes.

verb_to_trust wrote:Yeah those are responses to someone who earnestly identifies as feline.

This is more of a parenting thread for when your kid is trying to make a fool out of you.

My friends and I are in an 8 team fantasy baseball league started by my friend's twelve year old son and one of his punk friends. The league has a 20 start pitching limit each week and twelve batting slots a day. It's ridiculous, and not even a week in I'm convinced these two kids are laughing at all six of us dads for expending mental energy on participating in this charade league. They're also beating us in matchups.

I think I might rename my team Catter Up in honor of this thread.