[geeks] baby stuff

[Jennifer Sharp]

AMEN!!!!!

Jennifer Sharp

"Do not taunt Happy Fun Pregnant Woman."  -- James Sharp
-----Original Message-----
From: Amy <scoobydoo at ohno.mrbill.net>
To: geeks at sunhelp.org <geeks at sunhelp.org>
Date: Friday, June 28, 2002 11:37 PM
Subject: Re: [geeks] baby stuff


>On Fri, 28 Jun 2002, Beth Roberts wrote:
>> <ObUnsolicitedParentingAdvice>
>> As the parent of a very bright and shall we say,
"independent-minded" child,
>> I would like to step forward and state that it's definitely one of
those
>> things that *looks* a hell of a lot easier from the outside than it
really
>> is.
>
>Personally I never found keeping a child civil or quiet (but not
breaking
>their spirit) difficult, and I was once responsible for not one, but
>twenty-two three year olds and a passel of two's.
>
>> That said, when I'm out in public with my daughter and she's being
annoying
>> / naughty / inconsolable / downright pissy, I use the following
technique:
>
><snip>
>
>Unfortunately, I really think a lot of parents give a little too
much.
>Kids need to have boundaries in their heads as to what they can do,
can't
>do, and know firmly that mom/dad/nanny/adult's word is law and not to
be
>argued with. If nothing else it gets them used to the real world
>(practical, no? Since when do any of us get everything we want?). I'm
>never mean, never harsh..but I will say that years of training dogs
>helped. Maybe it's the command tone of voice, who knows.
>
>My stepbrother's 8. A very smart, spoiled, whiny, undisciplined 8.
I'm the
>only one he minds out of the 8 adults that he comes into close
contact
>with. Not out of fear but out of respect. He knows that I won't
>budge when he starts the whining and carrying on, unlike his parents,
who
>give him everything at the drop of a hat. As a result, when I come
home,
>he's all over me and wants to please and to be good. In reward he
gets to
>know that he's been good and feel better for it without the material
>aspect of it all. There's no 'If you're good you get a twenty-dollar
bill or
>a cookie' stuff goin' on when I come home.
>
>> I am thoroughly amazed at people who can successfully wrangle
multiple
>> children in a crowded capitalistic maelstrom. Really.
>
>When we went to DisneyWorld a few years ago, I was real proud of how
>Rugrat (this is my nickname for Christopher and he seems to like it)
>acted. He only got tired and balky once (and by that time I was tired
and
>balky too after walking all over tarnation) when his Mom wanted to go
on
>Splash Mountain.
>
>He started to whine and then saw me, hushed, and said, 'Mom, can I
please
>sit here with Amy instead while you go on Splash Mountain?' and his
Mom
>about fell over from the shock. When he asked me why she looked so
odd
>when he said that, I explained that he was beginning to act like an
adult
>and being polite and she was pleased and surprised with how mature he
>acted. He looked happy with himself and started talking about Country
>Bear Jamboree...
>
>*shrug* Then we got drenched in spray-water from the ride.
>
>> Those marketing and advertising bastards have us all outgunned -
all those
>> bright colors, child-friendly drugs (sugar, caffeine, pringle's
[tm],
>> cartoon characters)
>
>I've never seen a kid that'll choose Nintendo over making mud pies.
>There's something reassuring about dirt and water, I think. :)
>
>--a
>_______________________________________________
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