Week ending Sept 21, 2008: The kids started soccer this week and LOVE it. Coach David is quite a clown!
I’ve been noticing for quite a while now that the kids are really into negotiating for what they want, and to some extent I encourage it. Negotiating in calm voices is far preferable to the whining and kicking-and-screaming of a few years ago, but after a long day of tag-team negotiating over every little thing, I’m exhausted and tempted to scream “Shut up and do what you are told! Right now! No arguing!”. I mean it is not like I’m debating the Harvard Debate Team, but it is constant, and if I don’t pay enough attention even though they are only 4 years old they can back me into a strategic corner. Some examples of what we negotiate over:
- Whether cheese by itself is a complete nutritious breakfast. Apparently I caved once before on this issue and they remember and have thus redoubled their efforts.
- Whether they should have to brush their teeth or get to watch another episode of Word World which is already over. I try to explain that it won’t be on again until tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to watch it right now.
- Who sits on which side of the car. At least twice a day. Every day.
- Who gets which cup cake. A long debate over two identical cup cakes that dissolved into children crying and screaming while I was on hold with Verizon.
- Whether Chloe could bring her plush poodle to the pretend bday party Alex was having for his toy airplane
- Whether they can wear fleece footie jammies to bed when it is 80F in the house
- Who gets which Hotwheels car. This debate was repeated so many times I finally put the cars away (but not before I lost my cool)
- Whether it is fair to chickens that we eat them for dinner. This is only up for debate when I grill their chicken because apparently chickens don’t mind being turned into chicken nuggets.
- Exactly how many bites of dinner must be eaten before dessert is served.
- Whether we are going to buy popsicles, ice cream, doughnuts, cookies, candy, fried cheese, made-for-kid-tv-dinners, macaroni-n-cheese with a picture of Sponge Bob, cereal with a toy inside, etc at the grocery store (seems like at least a few items on each and every aisle).
This week I witnessed this endless perseverance having a remarkable payoff for Chloe. At the playground there were two little girls who were 6 and Chloe wanted them to play with her. They didn’t want to play with her and took various tactics from ignoring her, to playing in areas where Chloe didn’t have the dexterity to play, and then finally being downright rude to Chloe. Chloe finally responded by being rude back and then came over and sat with me and cried because she still wanted to be friends with the girls. I suggested Chloe go and apologize and when she did one of the little girls relented and started goofing off with Chloe and making Chloe laugh and laugh. Chloe was overjoyed! When the little girl had to go home, she and Chloe hugged. If Chloe follows her dreams with the same tenacity, she is going to take the world by storm!
- Whether cheese by itself is a complete nutritious breakfast. Apparently I caved once before on this issue and they remember and have thus redoubled their efforts.
- Whether they should have to brush their teeth or get to watch another episode of Word World which is already over. I try to explain that it won’t be on again until tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to watch it right now.
- Who sits on which side of the car. At least twice a day. Every day.
- Who gets which cup cake. A long debate over two identical cup cakes that dissolved into children crying and screaming while I was on hold with Verizon.
- Whether Chloe could bring her plush poodle to the pretend bday party Alex was having for his toy airplane
- Whether they can wear fleece footie jammies to bed when it is 80F in the house
- Who gets which Hotwheels car. This debate was repeated so many times I finally put the cars away (but not before I lost my cool)
- Whether it is fair to chickens that we eat them for dinner. This is only up for debate when I grill their chicken because apparently chickens don’t mind being turned into chicken nuggets.
- Exactly how many bites of dinner must be eaten before dessert is served.
- Whether we are going to buy popsicles, ice cream, doughnuts, cookies, candy, fried cheese, made-for-kid-tv-dinners, macaroni-n-cheese with a picture of Sponge Bob, cereal with a toy inside, etc at the grocery store (seems like at least a few items on each and every aisle).
This week I witnessed this endless perseverance having a remarkable payoff for Chloe. At the playground there were two little girls who were 6 and Chloe wanted them to play with her. They didn’t want to play with her and took various tactics from ignoring her, to playing in areas where Chloe didn’t have the dexterity to play, and then finally being downright rude to Chloe. Chloe finally responded by being rude back and then came over and sat with me and cried because she still wanted to be friends with the girls. I suggested Chloe go and apologize and when she did one of the little girls relented and started goofing off with Chloe and making Chloe laugh and laugh. Chloe was overjoyed! When the little girl had to go home, she and Chloe hugged. If Chloe follows her dreams with the same tenacity, she is going to take the world by storm!
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