Rebecca Misell lives in London with her two sons aged 11 & 13.

LATEST ENTRY

Part Fourteen

“Big boy it seems, had been trying to coach bro in playground survival skills: Lesson One – What to do if you get barged. Lesson Two – What to do if someone tries to jack your lunch money. Lesson Three – What to do if someone says ‘Your Mum’.”

EARLIER ENTRIES

Part Thirteen

“He doesn’t quite look or sound like Ali G, but he tries hard to give the impression that he comes from da ghetto; except that in his case, da ghetto is in the heart of a leafy conservation area.”

Part Twelve

“Suddenly big boy is too old to do all sorts of things, like football school or play schemes. And anyway, he WILL NOT be looked after. He DOES NOT need childcare. He is NOT A CHILD! What’s worse, bro has decided that he is an ELEVEN YEAR OLD MAN and does not need looking after either.”

Part Eleven

“Another sign of big boy’s burgeoning sexuality is the fact that he now seems to be perpetually embarrassed: embarrassed about bodies, embarrassed about girls, embarrassed by any discussion of sex.”

Part Ten

“Where I see a bunch of rather large, naive, confused children who sometimes behave stupidly, others see an intimidating group of young men, out to commit heinous crimes and terrorise innocent members of the public.”

Part Nine

“The posse lurk and loiter, slurping on neon-coloured soft drinks, sucking on ice poles and scowling at anyone who looks vaguely grown-up. Big boy goes nowhere without them.”

Part Eight

“If big boy had been raised in the Jewish tradition like his maternal grandfather he would by now have celebrated his transition to manhood with a bar mitzvah. Instead, he had to make do with that other well-known rite of passage, the acquisition of his first porno mag.”

Part Seven

“The next time I write, it’ll probably be from HMP Holloway. ”

Part Six

“The funny thing is that not so very long ago, the morning was my special time with big boy.”

Part Five

“Big boy's done it this time: he's in trouble with the law.”

Part Four

“I took a deep breath and called my parents. In my calmest voice I announced that we would be a little late for dinner because their grandson had to be released from police custody.”

Part Three

“This is no laughing matter. Big boy is in lots of trouble at school.”

Part Two

“Coming from a generation which eschewed materialism and fashion, or at least pretended to, big boy's consumerism, his obsession with shopping, style and labels never ceases to amaze me.”

Part One

“Have you ever smelled pubescent boy? The unique aroma of raging hormones and deodorant sprayed liberally over unwashed bodies?”