Firstly a boy needs a dog. It should be of an indistinguishable breed; but with a good percentage of Terrier.
A boy also needs a bike. This should possess all sorts of gadgets that do nothing, but look good. The more gadgets the better. No mudguards, of course.
What boy could exist without a fishing rod. Going fishing is an essential part of every boy's education; far more important than maths or history. (above is my grandson Finn)
A boy also needs a father who can bowl (as in Cricket). A non-bowling father, frankly, is totally useless.
He also needs a secret box, where he keep his Opinel, bits of string, semi-nude pictures of Kylie Minogue, animal skeletons, and dried frogs (this is Harvey J's box above).
He needs gumboots, plenty of old clothes, and (preferably) a Chelsea football shirt.
That's it really. Give him something to eat occasionally, and a flask of squash, and he'll grow-up all by himself.
39 comments:
Perfect !
Hienz 57 dog with some terrier is the best, are the best.
cheers, parsnip
Pretty well sums it up. Purebred dogs are so often defective in some way.
A scruffy Terrier mutt, is perfect for boys.
Our Lab' Monty certainly had his problems. Better a good mix any day!
Haha, then I must've been a boy before my teens; I had all that, only not a father who could bowl but, he could kick a ball in a goal net... does that count as useful? :)
Greetings Maria x
For Italians it was as essential as an English father being able to bowl.
Sounds perfect.
We didn't play much cricket in Snowdonia . . . but 'gumboots' . . that's a word that brings back boyhood memories.
What a lovely post Cro - absolutely perfect.
I hope I haven't omitted anything.
A good supply of gumboots are essential for small boys.
You're too kind. Luckily, having been a 'small boy' myself, I can remember all that was needed.
Like others here, I think that this is perfect.
Boys out there are obviously the same as boys here!
My daughter did all these things - except fishing. We're both vegans and wouldn't find hooking fish through the mouth and bringing them out of the water where they can't breath, fun. (Oh, and the Kylie pic might be Superman.)
Bet you are a brill grandpa!
LX
Yes, fishing isn't very kind to fish, but you could always throw them back (after the necessary treatment to lips).
I do my bit Lettuce. Sadly no grandsons here this year.
Love this... I had a Beagle... just as much fun, really... but a "Scruff" would have been better.
But, don't exclude the girls... not thro' political correctness... but because all the girls that did these things were fun to be with.
I can't remember any of the other girls I grew up with... nor the boys that wouldn't join in!
Very Enid Blyton & a very good philosophy. Much too much modern technology these days. XXXX
This reminds me of the poem I learned in childhood. “Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of”.
I had one son and found that to be very true.
Scruffy Terriers seem to understand that they are the dog equivalent of young boys. They were built for each other.
You noticed that I didn't include iPads etc.
We say 'Slugs and Snails'; more appropriate I think.
And a stick for poking things.
Perfect description! I have a couple of those around here. Even describes the teenager..for this summer anyway
Our one's, who we were hoping would come for summer, are off to Turkey instead. Their loss!
Nice post. I would disagree with "Feed them occasionally" Grandsons and granddaughters are always hungry.
Just a big pile of chips and fish fingers once every few days; that should be enough.
Perfect....a lovely read, Cro. Thank you.
It's a pleasure, thank you.
And some water to dam and sticks to throw and, like LaPré said, girls did it just as good as boys. We also had oil cans for our bikes and spanners and puncture repair kits and chains off and lots lots more.
just so...not much different for girls either!
Both my girls were bought up with these accoutrements (thank goodness for spell check!) though they preferred football and rounders.Like you we try to encourage our grandchildren to enjoy such simple pursuits and on the whole are pretty successful. This hot summer has been perfect, just like the summers of our youth Cro.
Mwahahaha!
Brilliant
The gumboots are for dam building. The bits of string in the box are for mountaineering (climbing on sheds etc), and the puncture repair kit etc was always in that little leather box behind the bike seat. Life was complicated.
I would hope so. I went to all boys schools!
Phew what a scorcher! And it's going to get hotter.
When my grandsons play games on their phones, they look totally bored. When they do outdoors, dangerous, things, they always look excited. Says a lot.
It's the way things were, and the way things still should be.
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