# That's \*Uncle\* manny to you, kid! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 17, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856 "2001-07-17T22:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/1 "2001-07-17T22:38:05Z")
For quite some time, my brother and his wife have been looking to adopt a child. Those of you who have been through the process know how it can be – expensive, draining, a security check that makes working at Hanford a piece of cake, endless frustration, etc. Well, yesterday my brother got back from a business trip to find his social worker presenting him with a healthy, 7-pound, 5-day old boy! I’m already practicing “pull my finger.” Woo Hoo! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Witch)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/2 "2001-07-17T22:50:56Z")
Congratulations to them and to you!! That must be so exciting, and overwhelming to have it suddenly happen. I have a couple of friends who have adopted, and can understand the joy and the frustration. You are in the best position. Much of the fun, little responsibility. Enjoy it! And forget the “pull my finger” bit or you’ll be “Funny Uncle manny.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/3 "2001-07-17T22:54:09Z")
Congratulations! That’s wonderful news, and little **Staten Island** is lucky to have found such a great family! ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/4 "2001-07-17T22:57:10Z")
Whoo! Congratulations, **manny**! Also congrats to your brother and sister-in-law. They’re going to name him after me, right? I mean, who wouldn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/5 "2001-07-17T23:15:04Z")
Hey, cool! It finally went through! Now, remember. You’re the _cool_ uncle. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/6 "2001-07-17T23:51:41Z")
excellent!!! congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/7 "2001-07-18T00:07:34Z")
Too cool, Manny. Spoil the kid rotten, will ya? ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/8 "2001-07-18T00:19:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by delphica \* > \*\*Congratulations! That’s wonderful news, and little **Staten Island** is lucky to have found such a great family! \*\* Hmmm, I think it’ll be awhile before he grows up to be Staten Island. Maybe **Roosevelt Island**? Or with a bit of class, **Governor’s Island**. Just don’t call him **Riker’s Island** … ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/9 "2001-07-18T05:13:23Z")
'Grats, pal! I’m not sure I meant to do this, but I seem to have offloaded the daily child-rearing to my sibs and now occupy the truly cool position in several young lives of **Uncle beatle**. It works, man. He’ll love ya’, and you’ll love him. We’ve gotta try it out… **Unca manny** …Ohhh! It works! It works! ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Noctum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ad\_Noctum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Noctum)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/10 "2001-07-18T05:26:58Z")
::Gives Manny a Cigar:: Congrats Unca Manny. Spoil the beast rotten 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Frannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frannie)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/11 "2001-07-18T05:32:31Z")
How terribly cool! Congratulations to everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/12 "2001-07-18T05:44:04Z")
“Uncle Manny” - yeah, that works for me. Just try to wait until the kid’s 16 before you get him hooked on cigars, okay? Can I send you a box of Cubans for you and yours? ---
**Author:** ![BooBoo316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@BooBoo316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BooBoo316)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/13 "2001-07-18T08:49:50Z")
Congrats, **Uncle Manny**! We don’t have a child of our own yet, but our niece is the apple of my wife’s and my eye. She is _so_ spoiled. I know you will have a blast with your new nephew. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/14 "2001-07-18T10:34:06Z")
Neices and nephews are the greatest. My own son now lives 1500 miles away with his mother and I rarely get to see him but my brother and his wife now live less than a mile away (in Oklahoma, that’s the same thing as living in the same building in Manhattan) with their 2 little girls, which I spoil rotten at every opportunity. Even better, they’re expecting another child in about 7 months. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/15 "2001-07-18T10:49:43Z")
Congrats, Manny. Next best thing to being called ‘daddy.’ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/16 "2001-07-18T12:26:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultress \* > \*\*Next best thing to being called ‘daddy.’ \*\* Hell, it’s _better._ You get to do all the fun stuff…bedtime stories, ball games, burp contests…and when it’s temper-tantrum or diaper-changing time, you can hand him off to Mom without her giving you the Evil Eye. Great news, pal! Have fun, and congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![headshok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@headshok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headshok)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/17 "2001-07-18T12:41:45Z")
Congratulations, **manhattan**. I second **Ike** ’s motion. I’ve been an uncle for the last seven years, and I love it. I get to be the ‘cool’ grownup: I can play with them, buy them stuff, watch cartoons, and be an all-around buddy, and leave the discipline to my sister. I’m sure she’s counting the days until she can get back at me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/18 "2001-07-18T12:44:28Z")
Being an aunt/uncle is cool! Remember to teach him the “see/sea-food” trick when he gets older. I’m not sure if my sister has forgiven me for that one yet! Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/19 "2001-07-18T12:50:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by headshok \* > **I get to be the ‘cool’ grownup** Absolutely right; I forgot about that other advantage. You will be LIKED by the kid, especially when he hits adolescence (and in the NY metropolitan area this happens, mentally and emotionally if not physically, around the age of four). Mom and Dad may be a couple of assholes, but Uncle Manny, he’s the greatest! Wonder if they’re really related? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856/20 "2001-07-18T12:59:27Z")
Some future gift suggestions: 1. fingerpaints 2. Play-doh (it’s really tough to get out of carpets) 3. Slimey toys of any nature. We found one truly wonderful ‘game’ and gave it to SO’s sister’s kids (by the way at that point, my son was too old for retribution - I ain’t no fool) It was called “Gooey Louie” and the object of the game was to pick items out of the slime from this big plastic Louie’s nose. There was a smaller ‘car version’ too. 4. Glitter. Lots of it. Both in a vial to be dumped on stuff and already glued onto things. etc. congrats - bein’ an uncle (or in my case the 'world’s coolest aunt[sup]tm[/sup] ) is terrific! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-uncle-manny-to-you-kid/72856.md?page=2)