The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Embarrassing Questions

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"Dad, can I watch Mitchell and Webb on TV tonight?"

I don't know son, the humour can be quite adult...

"Oh pleeeaase. All of my friends at school watch it."

Hmmm... OK, but only on the condition that if there's anything you don't understand, you don't ask.
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17 comments

Apex Zombie said...

Haha!

But then is it better to have him to ask his friends or you :D

The dilemmas of parenthood. :D Thank god I don't know them yet.

Unknown said...

Funny. But very good advice.

karatemom said...

Personally I love to watch a lot of those controversial shows with my son....I find it opens the door for many conversations ..where I can get a sence of where his head is at,..and I can also interject my own feelings morals and values and/or expectations from him around certain issues.

I have found we have had some of the funniest, serious, and informative conversations ..while watching some of the most ridiculous, and sometimes crude shows..

Even they can be beneficial to us in our parenting roles.

p.s. I might just beat you on this scrabble board ..im hoping..

Unknown said...

I think Karatemom is spot on, although I'd always have been inclined to your approach.

Anonymous said...

My method for handling the questions: "Go ask your father."

Charlie said...

I would do the opposite of michele: Go ask your mother.

We have so many ads for feminine products on TV that I don't know what they're for.

Kim Ayres said...

FLG - despite the fact that you swear you'll never say those awful comments your parents said to you, inevitably there comes a day when in answer to the 500th "But why???" you end up saying, "Because I said so!!!"

Then you start joining online forums called Idontwanttoturnintomyfather.com

Carole - :)

KarateMom - yeah, but having to explain a joke always ruins it

Conan Drumm - the alternative is to say, "look it up on Wiki..."

Michele - yes, I've fallen for that one before

Charlie - I've tried that, without success. As for feminine products, I just buy and don't ask.

Dr Joseph McCrumble said...

Mitchell and Who?

having no television on account of being somewhat impecunious, I have not yet encountered them. Are they some kind of adult entertainment stars?

yours questioningly

Joseph

savannah said...

how could you pass up the opportunity to look him straight in the eye and say, "and if your friends all jump off a cliff will you follow?" *snickering* every parent has to say that at least once, sugar! ;-)

Kim Ayres said...

Dr McCrumble - They started off on Radio, then did The Peep Show on Channel 4, and are currently showing their latest sketch show series on BBC 2. You can find out more about them here

They are the funniest people currently on TV.

Savannah - I was trying to save that one up, but I'm sure I've heard Maggie use it on him before now...

Amy Flege said...

yup, iam with ya on that advice!!!

sarah said...

*giggles*

pleeeaase!

Pat said...

I don't think I know the programme so can't comment - but I will:) My younger son and I are 'Soprano' fans but I would be very embarrassed to watch it with him. I think.

Anonymous said...

Tell him he can watch it with the proviso that he categorically not understand what he's seeing.

Kim Ayres said...

Amy - :)

Sarah - :)

Pat - You should watch it - it is hysterically funny - just not with one of your grandchildren...

Sam - we've also tried telling him he should stick his finger in his ears every time he hears bad language on TV. Unfortunately it's usually past by the time he's reacted...

Mary Witzl said...

I second what Karatemom says -- this is just what we do. We don't have a t.v. either, but when we watch films or recorded stuff on our video/DVD player, we like to be able to talk about it afterwards with our kids. They are remarkably forthcoming when we watch these together. We can almost always squeeze in our own ideas or make a moral point (as unobtrusively as possible, of course), and the kids tend to be receptive to this, too.

I feel so out of it: I have no idea who Mitchell and Webb are. I'll have to check out that website...

Kim Ayres said...

Restaurant Gal - :)

Mary - then I refer you to the answer I gave karatemom above...

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