A Mother’s Boys II Men: Dating Girls

     There is no way around it!  I had to face it!  Or do something I wished my teenage sons could avoid: But my boys are going to date girls!

     In these days of SMS, text, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Viber and the like where one could easily get ‘good vibes’; I get to accept dating as a normal adolescent life stage experience for most teenagers.

     As much as I don’t want my boys not to engage in boy-girl relationships, the desire to have a special someone is part of the journey.  As for my teenage sons, they go along because they are conscious to try something new that other friends are doing. Or it seems to be unavoidable not to get noticed, attracted and interested in this age and time.

 Renz with Mikee

     Anyway, as my boys entering puberty, I always make it clear that they need to be aware of their ability to impregnate a girl.  Remember the raging hormones of teenagers, they feel overwhelmed with the existent of their first love, 2^nd love, 3^rd… and the idea that they are behaving in an adult manner fascinates them.

     And many young people are not fully capable of understanding all the possible consequences of this adolescent emotional issue.  Due to their hormones, they are not thinking their actions through. Yeah! Blame it on the infamous raging hormones that need to be addressed and managed.

     This is the time to teach them about responsible behavior– the rules and limits of dating.  Help them reassess their moral values. Most importantly I should be sure that they know about the responsibility they have to themselves, their bodies and their dates. I need to teach my teens to treat those they date with respect. 

    My teens are in the transition from child to adult. Dating helps them to feel independent and mature. It's a step forward into "grown-up" behavior. My boys and I always talk, talk… I always tell them, “don’t get too physically close, and please do not engage in any sexual activities!”

    There! Prepare myself, equip them! (Not with condom). Push them hard to study! Engage them on sports! Fascinates them with Lebron James shoes! Feed them pasta and pizza! Threat them!

   What a mother could do best is to be ‘around’ for them and say a little prayer, No! Lots of prayers!

A Mother’s Hunger Games: Bento for My Boys

           Who wouldn't want to appease their children’s hunger? As much as make them enjoy every bite? To ensure that my teens get to eat their lunch in school, I have to be creative in preparing their packed lunch.  With the help of the ever reliable Google and some culinary pages, voilà! I started my bento! 

         The meal was more than enough to satisfy their hunger and curiosity.  It is both a feast to the stomach and the eyes. My styled bento is more appreciated.  Gone are days with the boring packed lunch my kids used to have.

         And they’re so proud of mommy in school. They’re gaining popularity because of the bento!   There are times teachers ask my boys to show to the faculty their bento. There are instances; teachers and classmates take picture of it.  So I decided doing photos of my boxed lunches and share it on FB pages. I Hope to inspire other moms or dads to make bento for their children. And hopefully make my boys “get” what I do!

        Of course, I make sure that my bento is what my boys really like to eat. My recipes are the basic and made from ingredients that are readily available in our place. I do “Pinoy” style bento or “baon” and at times the "oekakiben" or "picture bento", which is decorated to look like people, animals, or items such as flowers and plants.

No, I don't photograph everything I make!  I’m on a timetable or else my boys will be late in school.

 
 

For more photos to share. Dig in! at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bento_nini/

*Bento (弁当 bentō^?)^[1] is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container.

* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento 

my bento tools