The Boy has been trying a lot lately to work out an understanding of what it means to be “cool.” On the one hand, because of his Asperger’s, this is a good thing. The fact that he realizes that others will form an opinion about him, and that he cares (sometimes) what that opinion is…well, that’s a good thing. On the other hand…and isn’t there always an other hand?….his new quest for “cool” has been a bit, um….disconcerting. You see, The Boy, acquires 95% of his knowledge of how he perceives the social system of our world to work, from the television. If he sees it on the tv, then it must be true. This is especially true about infomercials….he has programmed the Pancake Puff Pan phone number into his cell phone. He doesn’t call it, he just would really like to order one some day, and feels better having the number handy. Never mind the fact that he would never in a million years eat a pancake stuffed with something. But I digress…
The Boy watches Nickelodeon and all those made for kids movies. While I don’t think there is anything wrong with these as entertainment choices…I don’t think they are the most accurate portrayal of reality. For the past month or so, The Boy has been piecing together bits of different things he has seen to form a very interesting “cool” persona for himself. What do I mean?
Well, he spent at least three days last week exiting rooms with, “Word to your Gram and Grandpa, Yo!”
The week before that, every time he saw me, he thumped his fist on his heart and then made the peace sign at me. You know what I’m talking about.
Never mind all of the times we’ve had to endure his, “yo, yo, yo, yo,” and use of the word “peeps.” We are, in fact, his “peeps,” in case you were wondering. Oh, and his whitey-est of white guy break dancing. It’s like living with Vanilla Ice.
But as disturbing as that all is, the newest development disturbs me far more. Apparently, cool guys (like Drake from Drake and Josh - his favorite “cool guy”) like The Ladies. To be said, “Tha Laaay -Dayz.” So now,The Boy has been piping up with “She’s a hottie,” or “Look at that hot chick!” Skinny, little ten year old say what?!? And a couple of weeks ago, he hit on our waitress at dinner. Let me say that again…He hit. On our waitress. At dinner. How? When she walked over to give him his drink, he raised his eyebrows and said, ” Rowrrrrrrrr,” complete with the purring, rolled “r.” What the? The usage of bad slang I can tolerate, but the chicks?….That just may be too much. Eh, now that I’m thinking about it, he is still pretty confident in the fact that when he grows up he wants to marry one of our cats, so maybe we’re okay. I’m just looking forward to when this phase is over, and everyday doesn’t feel like a bad trip through the urban dictionary. Ride it out, baby. Ride it out.
“How you doin’?”
22 responses so far ↓
1 Blog Antagonist // Jan 22, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Drake is possibly the worst kids’ television role model…ever. I truly despise that kid. And yet, it’s always kids like him that are portrayed as “cool”. Why???? Josh is so much cuter, nicer, sweeter…I would choose Josh over Drake in a heartbeat. Now. But I suppose as a 13 year old girl, I would have thought Drake was tdf as well.
Anyway…I think it’s pretty common with all kids that they take a lot of their social cues from the media. It’s maddening, but short of unplugging them completely, there’s not much to do except grin and bear it.
I did have to giggle about your son hitting on the waitress though. He sure is cute. I bet she was flattered.
2 The Sarah // Jan 22, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Ahahaha, I loved this post!
Think about it this way, Mel:
The cat of his choice is certainly gonna love it when he goes “Rrrroowwwwrrrrrr…”!
3 Amanda // Jan 22, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Our soon to be 7 year old loves Drake & Josh. Heck, I like Drake & Josh but yeah I get what you are saying. Our little guy goes around saying Sweet and Dang a lot right now. It drives me crazy but the worst is yet to come.
At least he still wants to marry a cat. LOL. Soo cute.
4 CamiKaos // Jan 22, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I really think, from my experience working in a coffee shop, that most boys go through a hit on the waitress phase…
but yes… the sooner it’s over probably the better for you
5 mamatulip // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Oh man…I couldn’t help but giggle a little at the part where you said he still wants to grow up and marry one of the cats. That’s a good thing.
6 QSMama / Lea // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:53 pm
This post was cracking me up! He actually growled at the waitress? How did you not laugh out loud?
Oh, my…here’s hoping Vanilla Ice leaves your house just as quickly as I’m hoping the smart-aleck version of the Princess of the Day leaves ours.
- Lea at Quick Serve Kids
7 jen // Jan 22, 2008 at 11:28 pm
This made me laugh. What a cracker - hitting on the waitress. Fortunately he’s still young enough where it’s a bit cute and a bit funny. He’ll read this one day and cringe. Yo, checkya!
8 Daisy // Jan 23, 2008 at 2:44 am
My teen with Asperger’s has major crushes on his favorite country singers. I’m not sure how he decides a woman is attractive; he’s blind! But he certainly does know talent when he hears it.
9 Shash // Jan 23, 2008 at 3:12 am
“Skinny, little ten year old say what?!? ”
I recognize Hannah Montana when I see it!!
Spiff (My Aspergian) does all of this too. Has yours found AXE yet? OOOOOOhhhh, that’s a fun day.
Word to your mother.
P.S. Would LOVE to chat with you!
10 Kelly // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:11 am
Oh. my. I have a vision of Tim Meadows as the Lasies Man that I have now converted to a pre-pubescent white boy!
My 4yo has an obsession with infomercials, and is constantly telling me that we HAVE to have this or that.
My first visit here and I spent an obnoxious amount of time here, but really enjoy your writing and the honesty of your blog. Kudos!
11 Kelly // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:12 am
btw, Lasies =Ladies
12 Kelley // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:45 pm
*gaffaw*
Boo has just started with ending everything with ‘yo mama’ and he is 9.
But the Boy takes the cake with hitting on the waitress. Methinks some Cary Grant movies may be in order?
13 Dory // Jan 23, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Hilarious!
The Rockstar is going through the same thing currently. It makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.
14 s'mee // Jan 24, 2008 at 6:54 am
Yo hommes…werd up, when the kizzles were still in da crib we be chillin’ wit
da slang too, yo? It died like Co-BAIN man, know? when duh mutha rode it wit-em.
Yeah, nuthin’ be killin’ da talk like sum jive talkin’ mutha in yo hood.
werd.
15 kellypea // Jan 24, 2008 at 10:03 pm
All my boys wanted to marry our cats, too. But females always mortified them, so hitting on a waitress would never have happened. I would love to have seen your face!
And I’m so out of it on the kid TV scene I can only imagine. But the whole teen age thing is influenced by whichever web sites they spend time on, so that’s pretty strange, too. Or YouTube. Or horror of all horrors — Family Guy. Just wait, mel…
16 AngelNicki // Jan 26, 2008 at 3:27 am
LOL… Matt has nothing to worry about, he’s definitely the coolest little dude I know of!
17 amanda // Jan 28, 2008 at 4:34 am
“Word to your Gram and Grandpa, Yo”- haha. too funny.
18 Tom // Jan 28, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I can only imagine what the Rockstar is picking up from me. I talk like that because we also are the whitest of the white and I find it amusing to hear it come out of my mouth. It’ll be interesting to hear it come out of his mouth.
I think it will also be funny/embarrassing to hear him start hitting on “the Laydeez”. I was horribly inept with them, and I think he will consider himself to be also. I can only hope for the confidence that The Boy has for the Rockstar.
19 Neisha // Jan 28, 2008 at 6:11 pm
My 9 year old aspie loves Drake and Josh also, as well as, ICarly. He has a habit of repeating their dialogue verbatim for hours at a time until I totally freak and say, “ENOUGH!” Your boy reminds me so much of my little guy. He tries to do the dance moves from all the cartoons he watches. He’s also been in love with the same girl since the first grade (he’s now in third in a self-contained class) but no longer sees her in school. He looks forward to the Spring and Summer to see her at the park. It’s the sweetest thing but I sure hope he doesn’t start with the Drake and Josh speak. That or Tak and the Power of Juju. Oh my!!
20 Aileen // Feb 1, 2008 at 2:43 am
This is too funny. I was laughing outloud reading it all. What a great blog you have! So glad I found it.
21 Niccolo Svengali // Feb 8, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I would limit kid’s access to TV these days. Why spend the best years of your life consuming other people’s propaganda?
22 George Lindemann Jr // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:49 am
Oh my! And why do I remember my childhood days while reading this post? Hehe.
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