GOAT TALES #05
Melissa Trafford Jones, JEWELLER
15 JULY 2024, WRITTEN BY JACKIE BARON
Living with a teenager can be like riding a roller coaster in the dark. What's one challenge you've faced while living with your teen son, and how did you turn it into a positive experience?
This is a little extreme but I am going to share it anyway. Having four teenage boys in the house there is always something going on with one of them that you’re reprimanding them for. For a period of time, our 16 year old was just plain defiant, we knew nothing (according to him!), he knew better than us (according to him), you know the drill. Every time we reprimanded he would storm off to his room and slam the door. My husband had enough and when he slammed the door right in front of my husband's face that was it. My husband marched off to his tool shed and came back with the electric drill, put it in reverse, took out the screws on the hinge and took off the door! The other boys thought it was hysterical but our son was horrified. The punishment was no door on his room for a week. He hated it, no privacy for a whole week. It worked a treat- he now knows who’s boss and no more slamming doors.
Admirable Traits: Teenagers often teach us more about life than we realise. What's one thing you admire most about your teen son, or what have you learned from him that's been surprisingly profound?
Discipline. The boys seem to take it to another level with their sport and gym and overall well being. Something that I have slackened a bit at times with - motivation - and being busy with work sitting at my desk all day. They will sometimes go to the gym before school then again after school and then several training sessions each week for sport. If only the same discipline could be applied to seeing their room tidy then we would all be happy!
Shared Passions: What's an activity or hobby you love doing together with your teen son that brings out the 'cool' in both of you, Neon Goat style?
Skiing definitely !!! We just came back from skiing a few weeks together in Japan in insane conditions. This is really a great family activity to do all together. There are not many of them left as they get older (and ski faster!). However, it's still a shared passion - we like to go hard and fast all day and then relax together in the evening with a few games by the fire.
Share a hilarious or face-palm moment you've had with your teen son that still makes you chuckle or shake your head in disbelief. That typical teen-moment or habit!
The moment my son yelled out to me from upstairs “Babe can you get me an apple juice?” - he was three years old!
The 'Goat' Legacy: If your teen son were to take over Neon Goat for a day, what innovative or outrageous product do you think he would create, and why?
The ultimate sports shoe. For some reason they are obsessed with shoes. I have created monsters when it comes to having a shoe shopping addiction. One of them has about 21 pairs of sports shoes. I think he grows out of them before he even gets to wear them multiple times but they are more like works of art adorning their room. Some pairs I ask my boys why they aren’t worn and the response is because I don't want to get them dirty! So I feel like for them the ultimate GOAT sport shoe would be where it's at.
The ultimate collaboration: The Imagine you're launching a special Neon Goat product inspired by your journey as a parent to a teen son. What would it be, and what story would it tell?
Having four boys is a very smelly affair. So my new Neon Goat product would be a room freshener and room spray because boy do we all need that in our life.
Melissa is mum to 4 teenage boys - 14, 16, 18, 18 and a male dog to boot. So when it came to her career she wanted to do something girly, and with a love of fashion and jewellery she started Deltora Diamonds. Melissa is a private jeweller based in the Sydney CBD.
GOAT TALES #05: MELISSA TRAFFORD-JONES
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