Jason’s six love
All boys in the Riley bunch
THERE ARE three questions that are frequently asked of Jason Riley when he is out with his six boys: "Are they all yours? Are they for the same mother?" and, "Where is the girl?"
He is not perturbed by any of these invasive questions from strangers. In fact, he actually expects them. And, given his persona, he responds humorously to all of them, with repartees such as, "No, I borrowed them," or "I just bought them wholesale and there was no girl."
According to Riley: "There is hardly anywhere we go without people looking at us curiously. You see the different expressions on their faces and their eyes following you from a mile. It's usually an interesting experience when all of us are in public spaces."
The point-of-sale country manager at MC Systems Ltd, a member of The Jamaica National Group, said he maintains a close relationship with his sons, whose ages range from one to 14 years old.
"We enjoy doing things together, such as watching TV, grilling chicken, playing football and video games, going to the barber and attending church. We wash the car together and generally have fun wetting up each other in the process."
He noted that being separated from them during the day usually results in a grand reunion when he gets home.
"The younger ones rush to greet me, and they want to be lifted up at the same time. So, I'll have one on my back and one in each arm."
Riley's wife of 16 years, Natalee, pointed out that the children adore their father.
"He is an excellent father, a good provider, supportive and is always there for them. He also encourages their friendship, which makes it easy for them to talk about anything," said Mrs Riley, manager for employment and career services at HEART Trust/NTA.
SAME INITIALS
The six boys, in the order of their birth, are: Jared Craig, Jamie Christian, Joel Christoff, Joseph Carson, Jacob Caleb and Joshua Christopher. A seventh son, Jessie Caleb, died of a heart condition eight years ago, at seven months old.
The Calabar and Wolmer's Boys alumnus explained that it was intentional that all the boys have the initials JCR.
"My wife and I agreed that if we had boys that they would have my initials, and if we had girls, they would have her initials which are NDR; and all their names are biblical."
Riley, who is also from a large family of four brothers and one sister, said while the couple did not determine the number of children that they would have, there was no keep trying in an attempt to have daughter.
"Yes, we would love to have a daughter. In fact, my wife was first pregnant with a girl, but miscarried at five months. The boys, many times, say that they would love to have a sister. Well, I may not have daughters, but I'll have six daughters-inlaw one day," he quipped.
Jared, the eldest, declares his father to be the best dad in the world.
"He is caring and tries his best to make us happy and satisfied. Even if he is low on money, he will make the sacrifice to ensure that we have the things we need. He has a great sense of humour, is easy to talk with, and I am comfortable talking to him about anything," he related.
Riley describes himself as a "pro" at changing diapers. He assists his wife with all chores and ensures that the boys do age-relevant chores as well.
"They are required to keep their own space tidy, make their beds, put away toys and clothes, and help to wash the dishes," he explained.
As expected, every expense in the household is high, with the supermarket bill being the largest.
"Food doesn't last long in our house at all. We need to go to the supermarket every week, and sometimes twice for the week," he disclosed.
Each morning, the husband
and wife are up by five. They prepare breakfast and get the children ready for school. The two older boys, who both attend St George's College, are picked up by a family friend at around 6:30 a.m., and the rest of the household leaves out together by 7:20.
To transport his family comfortably, Riley is in the process of identifying a bigger vehicle.
"Currently, we have a fiveseater vehicle which is not convenient anymore. When we need to take the family to the country, we have to switch our vehicle with a larger one belonging to a family member, or a friend. We share one vehicle, therefore, we need to change that soon."
Riley, who had a close relationship with his father, endeavours to be a fine example to his boys.
"I try to give them what I didn't have growing up and instil certain values, particularly advising them that material things are not what count. We don't have the best of everything, but we are happy," said Riley.
"I just bought them wholesale and there was no girl".