AnnieO
Shooting from the Hip
I'm working on this with O and J...
Took J to the Greek Festival today. Man. By the time we left I thought I was going to have one less child. It was somewhat crowded, but not bad - we got there early. Talking very loudly, swinging his arms, not watching where he was going (he DID, however, apologize to everyone he bumped into - at least 15 people). Picking up everything. Went to the port-a-potty and then, when using the hand sanitizer, got 4 HUGE squirts, wiped it all over his shirt and shorts, then tried to go back for more. Mama Step, well, stepped in, there. (My Mom got to him when he spit out a huge, half-chewed hunk of gyro because he didn't like the onions - that we had taken off - on the ground.)
He's been to a few nice restaurants, but has no idea how to act. He's bored, so it's Center.Of.Attention. time... And he talks very loudly on a good day. His hearing's fine - husband and father in law do it too. So... We're working on that at home, as well. But we have to go out sometimes - so he gets exposed to different cultures, etc.
O... Knows how to act in a decent restaurant, at least mostly. It's center of attention time for her, too, but it's not as overt. The worst used to be she'd put her head down on the table and kick others... Never at home, always when we were out. That got stopped - we simply told her if she couldn't behave, she'd miss out. Now it's mostly teensy stuff, like not speaking up when ordering, forgetting the napkin on the lap - teachable, remindable moments. Not in-your-face annoying.
That said... Last time husband and I went to a wedding... mother in law watched both kids. And kids were welcome at that one...
Took J to the Greek Festival today. Man. By the time we left I thought I was going to have one less child. It was somewhat crowded, but not bad - we got there early. Talking very loudly, swinging his arms, not watching where he was going (he DID, however, apologize to everyone he bumped into - at least 15 people). Picking up everything. Went to the port-a-potty and then, when using the hand sanitizer, got 4 HUGE squirts, wiped it all over his shirt and shorts, then tried to go back for more. Mama Step, well, stepped in, there. (My Mom got to him when he spit out a huge, half-chewed hunk of gyro because he didn't like the onions - that we had taken off - on the ground.)
He's been to a few nice restaurants, but has no idea how to act. He's bored, so it's Center.Of.Attention. time... And he talks very loudly on a good day. His hearing's fine - husband and father in law do it too. So... We're working on that at home, as well. But we have to go out sometimes - so he gets exposed to different cultures, etc.
O... Knows how to act in a decent restaurant, at least mostly. It's center of attention time for her, too, but it's not as overt. The worst used to be she'd put her head down on the table and kick others... Never at home, always when we were out. That got stopped - we simply told her if she couldn't behave, she'd miss out. Now it's mostly teensy stuff, like not speaking up when ordering, forgetting the napkin on the lap - teachable, remindable moments. Not in-your-face annoying.
That said... Last time husband and I went to a wedding... mother in law watched both kids. And kids were welcome at that one...