Let the Whining Begin
Remember those pearls of wisdom your parents always had? You know, things like “Your bed is not going to make itself!” and “It doesn’t matter if you WANT to take a bath, you still HAVE to take a bath.” At the time I remember these things just chapping my nerves. Probably because I recognized them to be right, and didn’t appreciate the fact that ‘right’ and ‘what I want to do’ were not the same things. One particular favorite of my father’s when I was growing up was “Whining about it isn’t going to get it done any faster.” And, at the risk of sending him into gleeful convulsions of laughter and multiple renditions of “I told you so”, I have to finally admit he was right.
I can only admit that now as a parent though. The daughter part of me still rebels at HAVING to vacuum, or HAVING to do the dishes, even in my own house.
But my son is now determined to teach me (rather thoroughly I might add), that when he doesn’t get what he wants, or when he has to do something he doesn’t choose to, whining (often at the top of our lungs) shall commence. It works rather like an alarm clock really.
Step one:
Alex has somehow snatched the phone off the table and is gleefully dialing 911 or any other random number to tell them all about his “Diesee” dog and his “kitty cat”.
Step two:
Mom tells Alex we do not play with the phone, the phone is not a toy. When this gets ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER, Mom has to take the phone away from Alex.
Step three:
Alex’s face crumples into the epitomie of horror and frustration. This is usually paired with a glare that clearly says “How DARE you!” The mouth opens.
Step four:
The alarm begins to sound. The shrill whine escalates until even the animals are running for cover, trying desperately to escape “THAT SOUND”.
And so on and so forth, until something else, usually yet another item we aren’t supposed to be playing with, catches Alex’s eye and the entire process begins again.
Wanna come visit?
May 8th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Boy do I remember those days. I guess I got them to look forward to again. Sure, I’ll come whether the storm with ya!
May 8th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Lately, I’m the Mute Mommy. Julia has pressed a mute button somewhere and is completely immune to anything I say. I can scream, jump up and down, set myself on fire and she just keeps right on doing the thing I want her to stop doing. Then, when I physically stop her from sitting on the cat or jumping off the roof of her playhouse, she is so offended.
This is an actual conversation we had today:
Me: Julia! Stop!
Julia: ….
Me: (louder) Julia!!!!! Stop!
Julia: ….
Me: Julia! Can you hear me? STOP!!!
Julia: Oh, I hear you.
Me: Then why don’t you STOP???
Julia: I don’t want to.
I may be in trouble with this girl of mine.
May 9th, 2007 at 6:20 am
just checking in for a visit and I thought I would let you know I tagged you.