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Aunts and Uncles thread


Sister Mercurial

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On 8/9/2022 at 1:49 AM, Sister Mercurial said:

What sort of thing does one buy as a christening gift these days?  

Godmom of two here. To both of my godkids (one of them is my nibling, one is my friend's kid), I wrote a memento letter that was largely "learn little by little about this world, I wish you happy life". I allowed the parents either to open it immediately or only when the kid learns to read.

In addition, I asked the kids' parents for any wishes they had for the name-giving gift; my brother had a wish, my friend didn't. So I bought the nibling what my brother wished and bought good-quality children's utensils set for the friend's kid (steel knife/fork/spoon/little spoon scaled into kid sizes). In the latter, an unfortunate thing was that another guest had bought the exact same set ^^' But I guess it's perfectly cool for a kid to have multiple utensil sets.

At least where I live it's perfectly cool (and actually desired) that people ask about Christening gifts, even if the parents don't have any wishes. There are certain gifts that are super divisive; for example, over here it's traditional for godparents to give a named fancy silver spoon for the godkid. Nowadays families are very divided with those spoons; some families absolutely want to have those, some hate to have those.

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I'm an aunt! I have a nephew who's almost 3 and a niece who's almost 1. I've never really liked children so I was really surprised how much i love them. I suppose bonding with them as newborns makes a big difference.

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  • 8 months later...
Sister Mercurial

Sister is in town at the weekend and bringing nephew.  We're going to somewhere I've never been before because it's designed to be kid-friendly.  Part looking forward to seeing her, part wondering how I'll cope.  

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On 5/2/2023 at 8:14 PM, Sister Mercurial said:

Sister is in town at the weekend and bringing nephew.

I have not seen my nephews in about 10 years now. Just in the process right now of sending off cards for their birthdays that come up over the next month (international mailing so I have to get it out early). Youngest will be 17 and the oldest 20. Time flying way too fast. My youngest niece, by different sister, turns 17 the same day as my nephew turns 17 (twin cousins 😄)  For the niece, my sister is planning a party for the weekend. We are at the point now where, like adults, you have to celebrate when people are off from work. I still have to double check with my sister about her present. Last I heard she wants a year's subscription to Spotify. It is nice when they can tell you what they want.

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On 5/8/2023 at 6:16 AM, Techie said:

My youngest niece, by different sister, turns 17

I think I remember when that niece was young and you were part of her care team.

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5 minutes ago, pickles mcgee said:

I think I remember when that niece was young and you were part of her care team.

Yes, for the first five years of her life, and while she attended nursery school, I was looking after her several days a week. When she turned five, she started a pre-K summer program at the Elementary School she started attending that fall so my services were no longer needed. Now finishing up her Junior year in high school and wants to study art and sculpture. However, she has almost nothing to do with me. I am lucky if I can get a single sentence out of her these days. Almost a complete 180 of the little kid I did everything with back in the day. Middle School, unfortunately, changed her personality.

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13 minutes ago, Techie said:

However, she has almost nothing to do with me. I am lucky if I can get a single sentence out of her these days. Almost a complete 180 of the little kid I did everything with back in the day. Middle School, unfortunately, changed her personality.

That must be so sad and disappointing. I was very involved with my friends’ two daughters (they called me Gigi, their 3rd grandma, etc.) when they moved here nine years ago at ages 1 and 3.  But I hardly see them now, after babysitting several times a week for years.  I feel closer to the 12 yr old than the almost 10 yr old, but, still, rarely see her either. Sad!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've enjoyed being an uncle for two kids, a godfather for three, a grand godfather for one, a mentor for another through a county youth program, and the leader of packs of kids as a summer camp counselor. Although I never had children of my own, one of the things I have valued the most about being an asexual is having the time and ability to play a significant role in the lives of quite a few kids- and their parents.

 

I won't say it has always been fun, but I wouldn't trade those relationships for anything. And watching kids imitate you is so funny. Friends of mine saw their 8-year-old son wiping  sunscreen all through his hair, and when questioned, he said " That's the way Bob does it" - not realizing I have a large bald spot to protect!

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58 minutes ago, coyote55 said:

Friends of mine saw their 8-year-old son wiping  sunscreen all through his hair, and when questioned, he said " That's the way Bob does it" - not realizing I have a large bald spot to protect!

Aww bless...🤣🤣🤣

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  • 6 months later...
Sister Mercurial

Well, sister is now going to have another kid.  News wasn't that much of a surprise: she was talking a couple of months ago about how money would be tight next year for her without mentioning why, so I guessed there was a reason she didn't want to disclose for a few more months.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
Snittingnexttoborpo

I'm one of those serious aunts that the kid is gonna have to really work at something to earn my approval lol. It's gonna take more than a scribble drawing to impress me! 
 

but i'll be nice and build a pillow house with them to have fun sometimes

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The nephew was here overnight. He helped me wiring the power supply for my GPS mount on my snowmobile. Today we worked on the snowmobile he bought. It's used and needs a bit of work.

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16 hours ago, Snittingnexttoborpo said:

I'm one of those serious aunts that the kid is gonna have to really work at something to earn my approval lol. It's gonna take more than a scribble drawing to impress me! 

Of course I do not know your passion for kids but for me the first time a 1 1/2 year old ran up to me and just hugs me, because, certainly changes my perspective on things 😂

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Sister Mercurial
On 12/11/2023 at 3:05 AM, Snittingnexttoborpo said:

It's gonna take more than a scribble drawing to impress me! 
 

Sister likes making greetings cards for people.  Judging by the card that arrived in today's post, she's involving nephew in making them now.  He went back and forth and round and round with a red crayon, then the same, somewhat overlapping, with a blue crayon, then stuck a menagerie of animal stickers round the edges.  Really don't know what to say about it to her.  

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