Ainan's teasing sense of humour.

Today, after dinner, I was talking with my sons.

Fintan, seven, confessed, unexpectedly: "I like even numbers." He spoke to me, as if expecting a response from me, but cast a glance across at Ainan.

Ainan's eyes grew mischievous across from me, as if his mind had leapt upon something unsaid.

Fintan's left index finger then pointed across at Ainan, with a short stabbing motion.

"He said: "Even numbers are for girls!"". Fintan was quite put out by this thought of his favourite category of numbers, being corralled for girls' use only.

Now, I knew why Ainan's eyes had seemed so mischievous: they seemed even more so now. A little grin grew on him.

I had to defend poor Fintan's view of the mathematical world, lest he be quite put off it.

"No, that is not true, Fintan: even numbers are for both girls and boys."

Fintan, who had grown stiff beside me, as he had explained Ainan's claim about even numbers, relaxed then, and sat back in his chair.

The conversation then moved on to a discussion of the properties of the numbers themselves, before venturing off into prime numbers.

Fintan was much happier - but now I had had a glimpse into how Ainan, ten, talked to Fintan when I wasn't around. It seems he brought a certain mischievous humour to some of these conversations.

I am glad Fintan mentioned it to me. Now I shall be ready to "untease" him, in future, should it prove necessary.

It is good though, to observe, that Fintan (and Ainan, of course) actually care enough about numbers to make them the subject of after dinner chatter. It should be noted that I didn't introduce the subject: Fintan did. It is funny to note what they think is worth thinking about. Never would I have imagined that numbers could be allocated along gender lines!

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

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Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks.

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Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Valentine Cawley's gender.

I have noticed that Yahoo search suggests "gender" when my name is put in, as a search item. It is clear, therefore, that many people don't know whether I am male or female. Well, whilst it may disappoint some and delight others, I am male. I know that my name could be a bit confusing, but all the "Valentines" that I am aware of, are men. The women I have heard of, of similar name, are called "Valentina". There is a difference.

I thought it best to answer this question here, because none of the search results, under "Valentine Cawley gender", had the answer - they weren't particularly relevant.

The existence of this puzzlement, on the behalf of enough searchers to be noticed by Yahoo, leads me to understand something: my name is spreading beyond the details of my identity. It seems that my name is becoming detached from my self. It is a strange thought, but clearly there must be people who have heard my name, but who don't know enough about me, other than that, to decide whether I am male or female. It is, I think, a curious position to be in. Yet, perhaps, it is understandable. Many people, after all, will know me for my writing about my children. This would seem not to be the preoccupation of a father, but more like that of a mother. Yet, I write as a father, not as a mother, however odd that might seem to some. In response to the notion that it is odd for a father to write, so copiously, about his children, I would say that a father has a point of view on parenting, too - and perhaps there is more need for a father to write, since fewer do, I would hazard, than mothers. Thus, the father's view is less known, the father's experience less public.

I don't know what elements of my parenting will have lasting interest - or even passing interest - for others, but I know this: if I make no record of them, they can have no interest at all, and will never be known. So, I write, perhaps in the hope of communicating something of interest to some, in time to come, or in time present. If, that confuses people, as to whether I am male, or female, I can fully understand. My role as a writer on family, is a confusing one.

Perhaps it says something of the nature of our society, that there should be confusion as to whether I am male or female. Perhaps we have not advanced so much in our gender roles, as a society, as people might suppose. Perhaps it is still not alright for a father, to be too much directly involved in day to day parenting. It certainly seems a surprise to some, that the writer of this blog should not be the mother, but the father. That speaks of gender expectations, too, in more than one way. Firstly, there are certain expectations of relative involvement in child rearing of mother and father - and secondly, there are still lingering beliefs, among some, that women are more verbal than men - so how can I be a man, when I am so verbal?

Well, some men can use words just as well as women - just as some women read maps, better than almost any man. I am one such person writing contrary to expectations.

So, I may write like a woman, sometimes...but I am a man. I may have a topic more commonly thought of a mother's - but I am a father.

I hope that is clear, now. Happy reading. I hope I haven't upset your view of me, by upturning your idea of what gender I am...but I think the truth is better than a fantasy.

Thank you.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)