I can hear my father’s voice in my ear just as clear as if he were here with me now;
“If you keep belly achin’ about only getting one new yoyo a year I’ll take away the ones you’ve got now, so watch it.”
I’ve watch this thread develop over the last couple of days and I realize mine is a lonely position out on the periphery, away from the majority of opinions I have read so far. As I have read your cavil of only being allowed to acquire one new throw per year I can hear the echo of my father’s voice saying something else; “Your biggest problem is you don’t realize how well you have it now.” And it doesn’t sound as if you do. Your mother drives you to competitions? When I was thirteen I wouldn’t have been going anywhere for yoyos that my bike couldn’t get me to. That right there is Mom giving you support and encouragement in your hobby in spite of the fact you say she doesn’t understand your enthusiasm for the sport or your “need” for more throws. The fact of the matter is they are not a need, they are a want. And a rather expensive and possibly extravagant want if you’re shopping for many of the more popular yo-yos.
Here’s the deal, you’re thirteen years old. I know to you this seems like you’ve left childhood behind and you’re prepared to make your own decisions about how your money is to be spent. Yet as I have listen to your rant I come away feeling you are not. You still reason and articulate your position as a child which discourages me concluding you’re quite ready to make your own financial decisions. Remember this YoYoJordan, you are telling us about the restrictions placed upon you by the person you have referred to as your “Mom”. “Mom” is not her name, it’s her relationship to you. She is your mother, your parent. She is not an elected official. Despite some remarks I have read here today I would encourage you to understand something, parenthood is not a democratic administration. It’s authoritarian. Because I firmly believe what I just said I want to say just one more thing to you.
Last November another poster on these forums sent me a PM of something that had happened to them that day at school that had left them very troubled. What had made this situation additionally difficult was that the problem had not been initiated by fellow students but rather by their school’s administration. This person wrote to me because they wanted my opinion on their experience and was hoping for a strong supporter in their corner. As it so happened I had a very strong opinion of what had taken place in this school and I very much desired to speak out. However there was something else I could read between the lines, this young person’s parents didn’t share my opinion. So rather than jumping up on my soapbox and launching into my own rabid diatribe I simply said “…it is absolutely inappropriate for me to give you any counsel that could be in conflict with your parents position. They are your parents and I have absolutely no business interfering with your upbringing no matter how strong a position I hold on any issue.” And so it is here with all of us when considering your mother’s limitation of only one new yoyo a year. Agree or disagree, it’s just not our call. We’re all just spinners and throwers out here spread across cyberspace. She on the other hand is your mother and despite what you find to be an excruciatingly restrictive edict I can also tell she cares about your welfare as well as your good pleasure a great deal. This doesn’t mean I don’t think you should present your position. I encourage you to do so and to do so with fervor. However bear in mind you really don’t have a vote, you only have a plea.
Remember those tonight in Moore, Oklahoma and realize taking in the big picture this is all pretty small potatoes. Sorry this went so long.
I do realize that I am very fortunate. Very good write up, I commend you on that. Did you know that everyone that has a house, computer, tv, etc. and everything people consider normal, are in the top 5 % in the world? No kidding, research has been done. I am grateful for everything, and if you read the entire thread (which I don’t expect you to do), I do express this.
Hmmm. I feel that if you progress more in your yo-yo skills, then she might see that you really are into the yo-yo scene. Just improve your skills for a bit and then tell your parents that this is really something you want to do. Just a thought.
Again, you have to do what your mom says, but I see this as yet another situation where you will be taking this up with your mom at one point or another in life. This is not just about you “getting more yo-yos,” as you’ve expressed other feelings that you should talk to your mom about. I think there are bigger issues, and you expressing your feelings to your mother, the one who loves and cares for you, is not you making a vote in a democracy, it is a son sharing his feelings with his mother. There is nothing wrong with a boy expressing the way he feels to his own mother. If you sincerely feel that you are not being treated as well as your sibling, or that you are not getting enough support for something you love, you should express it.
I think a parent who takes away what you have, just because you have expressed your feelings in a respectful manner about receiving more, is doing a lot more harm than good in that area, and definitely not encouraging you to share your feelings. You seem a bright young man, and quite capable despite any advice on this board, to make a decision about what you need to do. While it is interesting to hear what others think about the situation, you know your family, and you know your feelings. My best friend’s mother, who is over 60 years old, is still griping with her 80 year old mother about how she needed a winter coat once, and her mother decided to buy her brother a letterman jacket instead. Now, on one hand, you might say…grow up. On the other hand, it shows that there is resentment there, and feelings that have not been dealt with and expressed. Pinned up anger, from too many of those things happening, and someone feeling their mother had a “favorite kid.” No need pinning that up, and being old like that and not knowing why your mom is making decisions. There is no problem at all with expressing yourself to your mother, or asking her a question about things. If she does not like the question, she will express herself back to you.
If your parents think kids are seen and not heard, you should follow other advice. But, if you have an intelligent parent, who listens to their children’s feelings, and explains the “rules” to them, you will have no problems getting this off your chest. You may not change the decision, but you will express yourself. I think the choice is up to you, but I see nothing ungrateful about your feelings at all. This is beyond getting “one yo-yo” in my opinion. There are other feelings you have about why that rule might be in place, and how you are treated in relation to your sibling. Those issues should be addressed, because if not now, they will be addressed later, whether you choose or not.
In the old days, kids were seen and not heard, and had no feelings that counted in the eyes of an adult. If I made rules, what I would say goes too, but I’d be wise enough to make it clear why my way is the way it is. Again, if you can’t win an argument with a 13 year old, someone needs to pull your parent card.
You are a grateful kid in my eyes. You simply are requesting more than one yo-yo a year. Perhaps seeing a yo-yo for Christmas holiday or birthday during the year, and even earning a few. There is nothing ungrateful about your position at all. I believe you appreciate what you have, and you have used what you have and getting your mom’s money’s worth out of it from what I gather. You have never expressed that you are seeking 100+ dollar yo-yos, instead of 2 Classics that cost $9. No one has asked you what is on your want list, and many are presuming that you are seeking expensive things and trying to waste money. I have not made that presumption. I have read that you appreciate what you have, and enjoy “variety,” and what that brings. Variety does not necessarily come with more of a cost than having fewer things. You can have one $500 yo-yo, or you can have ten bimetal YYJs, or fifty Classics. So, you having one yo-yo or several, has nothing to do necessarily with what is spent, but how it is spent. This is where a conversation should take place with your mom.
You can ask your mom, instead of buying one $150 yo-yo, if you can buy three $50 ones with the same money, or a $100 one along with a cheaper one. All this takes place in conversation. Anyone telling you not to talk to your own mother, about the plans for what you get, and your feelings about what is going on, is wrong in my eyes.
Just to add another two cents on this. The good thing about bringing this to your mom, is that you might find out more about her position, you may be able to change it (small chance), and you get to vent. But, I must say that if you choose to have this conversation with her, you have to be ready for what she might say back to you. She may have been waiting for you to question her about this, hoping for an opportunity to talk to you too. You’ll be surprised. For example, hypothetically, the conversation might go something like this:
YoyoJordan:
Hi Mom, I’d like to talk to you about the one yo-yo per year rule. I respect your rule, but don’t fully understand why I’m limited to only one. I have the money saved up. Is there a way I could do things to earn more than one, because I like variety, as they come in different shapes and colors, and they play different. Besides, since the one yo-yo per year has been costing $150, so I wonder if I could buy several with that $150, instead of just one. Do you mind if grandma buys me a yo-yo for my birthday, as long as you are not spending on it?
Mom:
I’m glad you asked Jordan, because the issue is not the money necessarily. While I don’t think you need more than one of these toys to enjoy your hobby, you are not considering how invested I have been in this. I have had to help you maintain the ones you already own, by making sure you have your lube, string, bearings, and such. I have driven you to contests, which I don’t particularly enjoy sitting at for hours, and you already own several of these things. I have never complained about picking your yo-yos up around the house, and bits of string, but frankly, I’m not inclined to buy more of these things, so that I can be picking them up and putting them where they belong. You will be cutting even more string and making more of a mess. One of those strings got caught in the vacuum and it broke. If you were more careful about keeping your things organized, and there was less for me to do with them, and I didn’t have to look at them so often, you might be allowed to have more of them, but until then…NO. No yo-yos from grandma or auntie either. I have been extremely nice, and not screamed at you about having to buy a new vacuum. The sound of those yo-yos being played drives me up a wall, but I put up with it, because you love to do it. I hope that you understand the rule now. Love you…and goodbye.
Okay, in that conversation, Mom has stated the obvious that you don’t “need” another, but she also stated that she thinks she is encouraging you AND revealed that you are doing something wrong to cause the rule to be in effect (not putting your things away). That conversation you have with your mom might reveal more than you think. Be ready to hear what comes back at you, and the harsh reality that it may be something you’ve done to prevent having more throws. But, you may never know, if the conversation does not take place. I am in favor of that conversation, but brace yourself for a reality.
Wait, Jordan how is this possible? You only have 3 or so throws? Your pictures show you have like 7 and they are all nice metals and some nice plastics. What’s not to like in those pics? You got more than me…