Referee
You can tell it's getting towards the end of the school year.
"Their wires are touching," my wife keeps saying.
I know this, as I feel like I've been the referee in a boxing match that has already lasted two weeks.
Actually, that's not entirely fair.
For although my sons spar verbally a great deal, they have yet to trade blows.
I find this most remarkable as they're now at the ages of 13 and 10.
It could be that although Gabriel is far bigger than his brother, Isaac is now a brown belt at ju-jitsu.
The threat of being hurt by the other has so far been sufficient deterrent and long may this last.
Their rows seem to escalate as any form of holiday approaches.
During the weekend most of the arguments were over who was going to play on a computer game.
Neither boy was giving an inch – as usual.
The days of Isaac backing down because he is the youngest are long gone and he now gives as good as he gets.
Gabriel banned Isaac, who in turn barred Gabriel from playing any of his computer games.
These bans usually last a couple of hours – until one or the other gets bored playing against the computer and wants some human competition.
I'm normally drawn in to settle the dispute at some point, and always look for some form of compromise.
This tactic has never been particularly successful, and is getting less and less effective.
Now I'm seriously thinking about buying a referee's whistle for the forthcoming summer holidays.
Meanwhile, the rationale behind American summer camps is becoming clearer and clearer.
I was fortunate enough to have been asked to be guest speaker at Sunderland High School's Speech Day last Friday.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself and was very impressed by the school.
My welcome was warm, the pupils I met impeccably polite, obviously intelligent and wonderfully confident.
They were a credit to their school, their parents – and themselves.
When you meet so many tremendous young people you cannot help but be encouraged for the future.
It's all too easy these days to dismiss the next generation.
We see children labelled, castigated and demonised, and too often forget that the vast majority of them are law-abiding young citizens who just want the best for themselves, their friends and families.
They are facing the same problems we faced when we were their age, but they're normally under a great deal more pressure.
Despite these challenges, most young people I meet – certainly those I met on Friday – are unfailingly positive, keen to engage and very intelligent.
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
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