Natalie

Just follow rule #2 dads and I think lots of the others on the list will fall into place naturally.

Well this was kind of depressing....still haven't learnt, having just worked two 10+ hour days...and getting duller and duller...got to break the cycle in the New Year.

I think it's a two-way street too. Try to talk to your parents in as adult, grown up and respectable way as possible. Join in conversations and show you have opinions and ideas, just remember to be respectful and remember that they are your elders. Depends how mature you are, getting into a shouting match or having a tantrum is just going to have a negative effect and end badly and you'd be better off keeping your mouth shut, (think it, but just don't actually say it ). Similar to mumbling an illegible response or replying "Whatever…" when asked something can trigger a parents wrath...a polite "yes" or "no" can keep you out of a heap of trouble for very little effort. Talking (like behaving) in a more adult way will probably get your parents realising that you are really growing up into a young adult...and treat you more like one. Ol' Aunt Nat (I know...it's easy to preach when you get as old as I am...Sorry! )

I found this story almost beyond belief...I dug a little deeper...if anything it just made it even worse...to quote T.I.'s actual words from the "Ladies Like Us" podcast referred to in the article Whetstone posted: "Deylah’s 18, just graduated high school now and she’s attending her first year of college, figuring it out for herself. And yes, not only have we had the conversation, we have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen.So it’s this one time we go, I think this might have been after her 16th birthday,” T.I. said. “This is what we do… Usually, like the day after the [birthday] party, she’s enjoying her gifts. I put a sticky note on the door: ‘Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30.’ So then [the doctor says], 'I just want you to know there are other ways besides sex that the hymen can be broken," he said in part. “Like bike riding, athletics, horseback riding and just other forms of athletic physical activity. So I said, 'Look doc, she don't ride no horses, she don't ride no bikes, she don't play no sports. Just check the hymen, please. And give me back my results expeditiously."

Going to be confusing for my body clock at 5 a.m. on Monday as the clocks go back an hour here tonight...or will I still spookily still wake up at 4.59 as usual, just seconds before the alarm goes off despite the change? Looking on the bright side though...an extra hour on the dance floor tonight....Bonus Boogie Time!. Boppin' Nat.

Thank you so much for sharing this Jon. When this topic is mentioned online there are often comments from ill informed amateur "experts" who doubt the disorder even exists and seem to think harsh discipline is the simple cure. It is so helpful and informative to read the experiences of someone who has lived through it. Nat

Do any of you that get an allowance ever get it withdrawn for a period as a form of punishment...not something I've heard of happening much here that I can remember?

Dad would get me everything he felt I needed, but I'd have to earn it to get anything else....either by doing stuff around the house, which I kind of did anyway, so that's a bit confusing to me thinking about it now...or actually working a bit at weekends or in the school holidays...local shops, delivering stuff, stacking shelves...and that start all developed into a career via a few twists and turns...but I'm still trying to make sure those shelves are stacked in a way.

You haven’t given enough options...I’ve been having to get up at 5am to get to work these last several weeks...and the same at weekends, because my body clock has been set to that time...and it’s already past my bedtime now...so I’ll have to come back to this one...great idea for a poll, Martha. Ah, just noticed the “other” option...that’s the one for me. Goodnight everybody Nat Edit...Oops something went wrong...wouldn’t let me vote without putting in a time for church Edit 2... tried again this morning...it works now...was that n/a option there last night...must have been too sleepy to see it...Oops

I was allowed to wear make-up...Dad would just pass an occasional sarcastic comment. which did sometimes make me wonder if I'd gone too far...but I don't remember him actually stopping me...even if I probably did look a bit like The Joker in drag on occasions. And I still like really heavy eye stuff and the brightest red lipstick. Some of you might remember me sporting this look a couple of years ago...but it never did catch on. Nat

Yes I do have the full Scouse accent...born and raised here...it’s a good job we type rather than talk here...most of you wouldn’t understand half of what I was saying (even some of you from other parts of the U.K. !)...and I always try to do a Scouse to English translation on my posts before sending them....like this thread all about the clobber, pure boss!

Yes, it’s the same here in Liverpool...short skirts or shorts and bare legs most of the time..not because of the weather though, the majority of the time it seems to be cloudy or raining and that cold wind off the Mersey whistles right up where it shouldn’t sometimes...but us Liver-birds are hardy creatures. Nat (And that’s pronounced lie-ver-birds from liv-er-pool...don’t ask me why!)

I somehow doubt a mum who won't let her daughter listen to music with swearing in the lyrics would agree though.

Maybe not if she’s familiar with the content of the book...and I’m not just talking about the swear words...likely to raise some awkward questions about why you want to read such a notorious book at your age which was once banned in many countries because of its explicit content.

I’m so envious of you...I’d love to go to Graceland...I will one day. (The somebody else was Johnny Cash by the way) Nat