Moms of "Comedians"

Breathe.

(By the way, I'm guessing genetics are at work, too. I find your posts witty, and often amusing. Let's hope your son "grows into" his incipient talents.)

6 moms found this helpful

Instead of baseball.... ?
I know he seems to do a ton of interests... how about youth theater?
He might love that... he seems like a real bright creative kid... maybe baseball is just too boring.
Or maybe pottery... it would be just him and the ball of clay.... just one on one kind of thing. Maybe it would then give him no time to goof around off tangent? Or maybe kite flying (there are clubs for that). Or a Lego club?

My friend's son is sort of like that. She goes nuts-o. But he's a great kid.

all the best,
Susan

3 moms found this helpful

Lol! I'm sorry, I have no help whatsoever. Just thought I'd tell you that your goofy child made me laugh right through the computer. I agree, I bet he comes by it honestly. :)

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Dear R.,

He must get it from you. You gave me a good laugh! Thanks. Hmm...sounds like my son. Too bad you live so far away. We could take their act on the road and make a mint! :)

Always,
B.

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LOL!! Ya know, I've often wondered about Robin Williams and other comedians and how their WIVES handle the constant "on", but didn't think about the moms!

I have a funny one, but he isn't like that all the time. I enjoy it and welcome it, but I guess if he was getting in trouble at school or so into his routine on the field, that it was dangerous, I might get concerned. I suppose the comedy routine would be welcomed unless it's a situation like the above. Maybe explain that you love his gift of comedy and how wonderful it is to make people laugh, but there are times where it needs to be scaled down. Explain that baseball can be dangerous if you're not paying attention. Then, find an activity that doesn't involve hard objects being thrown or hit in any direction! What about music or like previously mentioned..theater! There's a time and a place for bits, but the ball field isn't one of them. The duggout is another story!!!! :)
Ya know, he could very well be the next Jim Carrey or Jack Black. I also agree, get it on video!!!
Good luck and feel free to share the laughs!!

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Put him in youth theatre! It sounds like he would absolutely love to do acting! I bet he would love it and do really well.
I have a friend with a son with a similar personality. She said she went from feeling slightly embarassed wathching him be goofy in soccer, to the proudest mom in the audience when he got the lead role in the play!

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Welcome in the clowns club. I have a 7 yo and the very same problem. His best friends are the ones he can make laugh just by looking at them. Two of them are in his baseball team. Time to hit the ball is the comedy opening season. Appropriate talk is a lost cause. Everytime there is a public, there is a clown. The transofrmations are amazing. How as soon as we have company the perfect boy with the perfect table manners turns into a clumsy clown dropping things from the table, accidently pushing food off his plate that start flying around, burping "Jingle Bells", and saying "excuse me" after each one is even more fun, just to name a few, and all of them are funny and by accident. Yes, we have been through "how embarassing" and bla-bla-bla, nothing helps. And than he will get me really mad and that will upset him and looking at a sad clown is a really sad thing. "Yelling" doesn't work as he makes me laugh too. How can you be taken seriouisly if you are laughing? Good luck with that and let me know if you get a good advice that works...
P.S. The last year baseball couch didn't even wanted to hear about us. The guy is really into baseball. Sudenly all the spots in his team were taken. Well, that was lucky because we really like our new couch. Few months ago I got him in a hip-hop class and he loves it. They have the "circle dance" and he loves it. We stopped the swimming classes because he thought it is really funny to dive to the bottom of the swimming pool and just to sit (literary) there. The top of the ice-cream was mamma freaking out and jumping in the swimming pool with cloths. Yhee, welcome in the club!

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Oh, R.! I remember watching coach pitch baseball... Your son would be an absolute delight in all that tedium! I understand that you are embarrassed. The stories I could tell you about my son... BTW, he didn't just pretend to pee for attention! Got him kicked out of summer camp (for the whole summer). Your boy is definitely bored (and I'd bet all the others are too). He might do better at sports where he is busy the whole time (e.g. soccer, football, running, swimming). Just know us parents/moms know you are not the "cause" of the behavior. He is who he is. My son, age 11.5 plays baseball and is very into it and today he came home from practice telling me about one of their pitchers having a tough day on the mound (15 runs--it's just practice though) and he stripped off his shoes, socks and shirt and went streaking through the ballpark into the trees. He was frustrated, angry and he could have thrown a fit, but instead he got completely silly and had all the kids and coaches in stitches, which really helped them all blow of some steam. It is playoff time you know.

I think you will probably always need to have the "appropriate" conversation with him, but possibly his coach should talk with him and let him know that it's disrespectful to the other players. I think when moms talk all they hear is, "blah, blah, inappropriate, blah, blah, not funny, blah, blah, blah"
Maybe you need to keep an eye doctor on retainer?

I remember seeing Robin Williams and several other comedians talk about why they were funny and many of them said that they did it to make their moms laugh (Robin Williams and Mike Meyers, especially). Do you think that you're too serious? Maybe you should be silly too? Maybe he's learning it all from you? LOL!

This is a great post, made me laugh. I do wish you the best. I would just smile and shrug my shoulders, give the lecture, see the eye doctor!
S.

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You have some of his antics on video tape to blackmail him when he's a teenager, right? ;-) (And to make a retirement fund out of when he's famous??)
He sounds like fun, and yep, sounds like he's learning from a pro.

I am so thankful for performing arts magnet schools, where my own comedian fits right in.

I'm guessing Robin Williams' mother is *still* having the "appropriate" discussion. Nanu, nanu.

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I've got one too! He has:

Taken numerous dramatic bows in the middle of the soccer field.

Worked his way from one end of the row to the other end of the row in a Christmas presentation on stage

Done a somersault across home plate in a baseball game.

Arm farted through an entire hour of school carnival to peals of screeching laughter from his classmates.

Guess what? I love it! I embrace it! Sometimes I cringe but I am SO glad he has such a good sense of humor!

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Every child is different. Why do you want to challenge the inborn talent this kid has? He's 7 years old. How you think is set by the time you are six years old. Your personality is set by the time you are 10. My sources Chinese medicine and The Kabbalah.
He's a comedian. Let him have that career. He only needs an outlet like plays or to do stand up. When he has a birthday or you have a party make it a play or a presentation. Friends of mine had parties where each of us who attended had to perform and that included their two kids. One of them at 14 years of age starred in a major movie that is shown on TV on a regular basis.
What's the big deal about sports. Take him to dance class since movement is important to a comedian's routine and the ability to fall and leap. Teach him to sing. Singing lessons go along with comedic talent.
Enroll him in a good children's acting class.
Read about how Steven Spielberg's mom let him do his creative plays and sets all over the house.
Nurture who you've got not the American ideal of a kid who is a Boy Scout and sports hero. That's not your son. AND IT IS NOT KIND TO LOTS OF BOYS WHO GET FORCED INTO THOSE ROLES.

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Ahhh...I see my future before my eyes. My son is a certified goofball and he's only three. I'd see if there are any dramatic arts summer camps. If THAT doesn't work, consider if he has any buddies who would want to do some sort of "Talent Show" type thing (I've seen lots of neighborhood kids get involved in stuff like this) and then he can put together a skit of his own or work with a group of peers (who may give him great insight into Funny/Not Funny...who knows?)

Also, old movies might be fun. Nothing violent, but there are some old, jokey shows like Little Rascals which might be entertaining and give him some new ideas. Or a book of Jokes and Riddles. I was given one as a kid and loved it.

Thanks for your post. I'll be referencing ideas in few years, I'm sure!

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sounds like what I expect my son to be down the road... and he's only 2 1/2 now, but I can see it coming already! I'm a teacher, and have had a few of these in my class- I do love them so :)

What does your hubby say about ur wee Robin Williams?