A possible new hobby for my son

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OliveOilMom
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19 Sep 2012, 1:27 pm

My 17 year old son, who has ADHD and who I suspect of having AS like me is still in the 9th grade. This is the third time. He's decided to drop out and go to GED classes. He went to school for the first week or so, mainly because most of his friends were there, but really couldn't handle being in classes with all the young kids. He said he felt like an unpaid babysitter, although he did try to make the best of it by hiring himself out as "muscle" to the kids who get picked on, but that got old fast. So he's going to night classes three nights a week now for GED.

Meanwhile, he has some daytime hours to fill and I'd rather he not fill them with the xbox games. Today he's working at the store, where he works part time, but that won't be every day. I think I've found something for him.

There is a group of men in the county who reinact the war. They meet twice a month and practice and are required to study it as well. You have to buy your own uniform and replica weapons, but that isn't much and he can afford it and they have a guy you can buy them from. He's really interested in it and I think it would be a big help for him. I especially like the fact that he will have to learn history.

Anybody else have a husband or son or something doing that? If so, what do you think about it and do they like it? I'd like to do the SCA thing and get my kids involved in that, but they aren't interested at all.


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Mindsigh
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19 Sep 2012, 4:33 pm

I think it's a super idea! A lot of people do stuff like that and it's a great way to make contacts that could help your son later in life. I used to want to do SCA stuff, but between work and family, I have no time for anything else.


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naturalplastic
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19 Sep 2012, 4:35 pm

Just outta curiosity: which 'war' is 'the war' that they are reenacting?

I assume you're an american- were the phrase 'the war' meant World War Two during my boomer growing up. But weve had so damned many wars since 1945 by now that the phrase is starting to get a little ambiguous.

There are two subcultures of hobbyists this sounds like.

We have had Civil War renactars who dress up in blue and gray uniforms and have been doing the civil war for decades now: reenacting specific battles on the national park battlesites.

Then there are paint ball shooters - a different bunch who play war by dressing in helmets and stalking each other in the woods. Referees judge them when they shoot paint from paint ball guns at each other. I briefly knew a guy who was in rotc who worked for my company who was into that.

Both the paint ballers, and the civil war reenactors seem to be pretty harmless. If he is into playing war its probably more healthy to do it in the outdoors with either of the above groups, interacting with other people,- then alone in his room on an X-box.



OliveOilMom
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19 Sep 2012, 4:51 pm

Mindsigh wrote:
I think it's a super idea! A lot of people do stuff like that and it's a great way to make contacts that could help your son later in life. I used to want to do SCA stuff, but between work and family, I have no time for anything else.


I'll do the SCA thing with you if you want. I know a guy who is in a group up in Cullman. If you find time, hit me up and we can go together.

This is civil war reinactment but not the SOC. Just a local group of guys and it turns out that there are a lot of groups like that. They don't travel out of state for it or anything, but they enjoy it. Husband (who I haven't kicked out yet because the lawyer said to sit on that for a while for financial reasons) mentioned that he might do that with him and my son told him "I guess they would needpeople for the wrong side too" LOL! (Husband is from up North)


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OliveOilMom
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19 Sep 2012, 4:59 pm

naturalplastic wrote:
Just outta curiosity: which 'war' is 'the war' that they are reenacting?

I assume you're an american- were the phrase 'the war' meant World War Two during my boomer growing up. But weve had so damned many wars since 1945 by now that the phrase is starting to get a little ambiguous.

There are two subcultures of hobbyists this sounds like.

We have had Civil War renactars who dress up in blue and gray uniforms and have been doing the civil war for decades now: reenacting specific battles on the national park battlesites.

Then there are paint ball shooters - a different bunch who play war by dressing in helmets and stalking each other in the woods. Referees judge them when they shoot paint from paint ball guns at each other. I briefly knew a guy who was in rotc who worked for my company who was into that.

Both the paint ballers, and the civil war reenactors seem to be pretty harmless. If he is into playing war its probably more healthy to do it in the outdoors with either of the above groups, interacting with other people,- then alone in his room on an X-box.


Yeah, it's civil war. I don't know of any groups around here who reinact the revolutionary war, but I know there are some up North.

He's played paint ball before and used to have a couple of good paintball guns but he got tired of that. My oldest used to play it with friends in the woods until one night a friend of his accidentally shot him in the face at point blank range with a yellow paint ball and broke his nose and he had to go have his eyes washed out at the hospital.

I'm not sure if he plays war stuff on his xbox. He has so many games I don't know what he has. He's got a lot of sports ones, and Mario something, and the car jacker games,and all kinds of stuff. He's just into playing xbox just to play xbox. I think he'll play anything, really. He recently got one called Fruit Ninja, which doesn't seem like a game he would play at all, but they have a blast playing it. He got me to play it once an I was sore the next day.


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naturalplastic
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19 Sep 2012, 8:34 pm

Ohhhhh.

you're from somewhere in the deep South.

That explains it.

"The War" still means "the Civil War" down there, and not World War Two - as it does in the rest of the USA!

Anyway- that does sound like a great idea for your son.

Anything that gets him interacting with a group of people and making friends and networking and so forth.

There are even some women who get involved- dress up in period costume, and play the roles of the nurses, and so forth.



OliveOilMom
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20 Sep 2012, 4:18 am

Yep, rural Alabama, although we are from Birmingham we have been in the country for about 11 years now. And "the war" always means the Civil War down here lol.

He's got plenty of friends, I don't worry about his socializing, he's always been very social. The problem is that about half his friends are still in school and the other half either work during the day or some work at night, or they just lay around at home and don't do anything. He's got a friend who is 24 who still lives at home most of the time, does nothing but play games on the computer or skateboard, and only works when he wants pocket money. This kid went to college and has a degree in education, but he chooses to hammer nails at his daddy's company when he needs money to go out on, rather than get an actual job. I do not want my son to turn out like that guy. That guy is NT btw lol.


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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA. ;-)

The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com