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| My brother gave me his cookie. Now he wants it back. |
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| That was funny, right Daddy? |
Friday, May 31, 2013
Just Doin' Snax
3:00 snack time.
Children are Naturally Tyrants
DAD stumbled upon the blog of an apparent fellow parent.
Dad was, on first blush, inclined to agree. But additional thought lead him to another conclusion.
At one time in Dad's life, around 19, he was standing in line of, coincidentally, McDonald's at a very busy lunch time. All of the registers were open and the lines were six to eight people deep. In front of Dad was a mother of a tot around four years old. She asked him which Happy Meal he wanted, the burger or the nuggets. The boy hemmed and hawed and vacillated for a good long while. Customers behind Dad began to grumble. Dad checked his own watch to see if he would have to abandon the line to return to work. Finally he tersely interjected, "He wants the nuggets." The mother shot a dirty look toward Dad, and was about to, perhaps, tell him to mind his own business in a less than polite way. Her face changed and she self censored when she saw more than a few pair of impatient, angry eyes staring back at her. "And a hamburger Happy Meal," she added to the clerk thus completing her order.
Point: Dad thinks the blog author quoted above was wrong to think that offering a child a choice is a waste of time. Indeed, children are ignorant, and they do press their wants and needs which can be inconvenient. But they have to learn. That was an opportunity for that mother to teach her child that he sometimes has options for breakfast and to consider that he might have a preference. Asking him his opinion opens up the possibility for the boy to think. Further, it introduces him to an area where, under certain conditions, he can exert power and influence.
To be sure, there are contextual constraints. The young mother with her four year old at McDonald's holding up the line should not have consulted her son, or should have time limited his deliberations. But children are not tyrants as the blog author claims. A tyrant acts deliberately subjugating other people for his own self interest while fully aware of his actions. A child, on the other hand, places demands on parents in its own self interest out of ignorance. Dad strives to not impute a motive to child where one does not exist.
The blog author's friend's mother indulged her son. No one was harmed, no one's time was wasted.The boy was exposed to power. Couple that with responsibility, that is a good thing, "Johnny, you chose your cereal, you have to finish it."
That is Dad's want for his Twins, that they seek out areas of empowerment and exercise that power while being accountable for their decisions.
Yes, the Twins will probably want to exercise their power while evading responsibility for their decisions. Every president, er I mean, person does. And they may do it 1,000 times, but it is too valuable of a lesson not to teach it.
Besides, Dad never thought parenting to be an easy endeavor.
In any case, criticism aside, the blog is normally a good read.
Years ago, I visited a friend’s house and watched his wife take a poll: “What do you want for breakfast?” The survey sample was quite small: Their 3-year-old son, who wasted about 45 seconds of his mother’s time before deciding which flavor of sugary cereal he wanted.
...
Sane adults do not make themselves slaves to the whims of a child.
Children are ignorant. They don’t know what kind of cereal they want for breakfast. A child is not a fit judge of what to wear to school.
A child, if left unsupervised to pursue his pleasure, is likely to spend all his time watching cartoons or playing video games, and to eat nothing but junk food. Not only is this bad for the child’s health and intellectual development, but if he is permitted to acquire such habits, he also acquires the idea that it is his right to live exactly as his chooses, without any obligation to society to make himself useful or productive.
Your home cannot be a democracy; children are naturally tyrants.Read the whole thing: http://theothermccain.com/2013/05/28/a-definition-of-insanity/
Dad was, on first blush, inclined to agree. But additional thought lead him to another conclusion.
At one time in Dad's life, around 19, he was standing in line of, coincidentally, McDonald's at a very busy lunch time. All of the registers were open and the lines were six to eight people deep. In front of Dad was a mother of a tot around four years old. She asked him which Happy Meal he wanted, the burger or the nuggets. The boy hemmed and hawed and vacillated for a good long while. Customers behind Dad began to grumble. Dad checked his own watch to see if he would have to abandon the line to return to work. Finally he tersely interjected, "He wants the nuggets." The mother shot a dirty look toward Dad, and was about to, perhaps, tell him to mind his own business in a less than polite way. Her face changed and she self censored when she saw more than a few pair of impatient, angry eyes staring back at her. "And a hamburger Happy Meal," she added to the clerk thus completing her order.
Point: Dad thinks the blog author quoted above was wrong to think that offering a child a choice is a waste of time. Indeed, children are ignorant, and they do press their wants and needs which can be inconvenient. But they have to learn. That was an opportunity for that mother to teach her child that he sometimes has options for breakfast and to consider that he might have a preference. Asking him his opinion opens up the possibility for the boy to think. Further, it introduces him to an area where, under certain conditions, he can exert power and influence.
To be sure, there are contextual constraints. The young mother with her four year old at McDonald's holding up the line should not have consulted her son, or should have time limited his deliberations. But children are not tyrants as the blog author claims. A tyrant acts deliberately subjugating other people for his own self interest while fully aware of his actions. A child, on the other hand, places demands on parents in its own self interest out of ignorance. Dad strives to not impute a motive to child where one does not exist.
The blog author's friend's mother indulged her son. No one was harmed, no one's time was wasted.The boy was exposed to power. Couple that with responsibility, that is a good thing, "Johnny, you chose your cereal, you have to finish it."
That is Dad's want for his Twins, that they seek out areas of empowerment and exercise that power while being accountable for their decisions.
Yes, the Twins will probably want to exercise their power while evading responsibility for their decisions. Every president, er I mean, person does. And they may do it 1,000 times, but it is too valuable of a lesson not to teach it.
Besides, Dad never thought parenting to be an easy endeavor.
In any case, criticism aside, the blog is normally a good read.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Let's go Racing!
SUNDAY was big race day in Indianapolis.
http://msn.foxsports.com/motor/story/tony-kanaan-wins-indianapolis-500-with-late-race-pass-052613
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| Daddy's little race fan |
Kanaan finally wins the Indy 500
http://msn.foxsports.com/motor/story/tony-kanaan-wins-indianapolis-500-with-late-race-pass-052613
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thank you Nicky G
NEW Family blog regular Nicky G suggested that Parents feed the Twins finger foods like small pieces of carrot to get them to eat. They've recently begun to decline spoon and bottle feeding and over-enjoying puffs, cookies, and crackers, anything they can feed themselves.
Nicky suggested what seems obvious in hindsight, cut up regular food into pea sized pieces and let them feed themselves. Dad's a disciple of the school of lazy parenting and welcomed the idea.
Carrots worked very well.
The Parents will experiement with other foods in the coming days. But now they have another problem, what to do with all of this pureed food?
Actually that is not as hard as it sounds. While they might not appreciate Dad's pureed beef, cauliflower, carrot, potato, and asper-grass, he likes it and will make several meals for himself out of it.
Well, maybe not the potato, but everything else.
Now the NF Parents are accepting advice on how to keep the Twins sticky, food covered hands, out of their hair.
Grandma suggested buying lots of shampoo. But that ounce of prevention outweighs the pound of cure.
Nicky suggested what seems obvious in hindsight, cut up regular food into pea sized pieces and let them feed themselves. Dad's a disciple of the school of lazy parenting and welcomed the idea.
Carrots worked very well.
The Parents will experiement with other foods in the coming days. But now they have another problem, what to do with all of this pureed food?
Actually that is not as hard as it sounds. While they might not appreciate Dad's pureed beef, cauliflower, carrot, potato, and asper-grass, he likes it and will make several meals for himself out of it.
Well, maybe not the potato, but everything else.
Now the NF Parents are accepting advice on how to keep the Twins sticky, food covered hands, out of their hair.
Grandma suggested buying lots of shampoo. But that ounce of prevention outweighs the pound of cure.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Happy Birthday to Evan and Emily!
EVAN and Emily are 1 year old today! Happy Birthday!
Remember when they were itty bitty?
Parents, Ryan and Jacqueline, threw them a party and invited the New Family to attend.
Thanks Ryan and Jacquelyn for having the New Family over. The Parents enjoyed seeing you again, and the Twins enjoyed meeting yours, but it was all too brief.
And you have such a genteel and polite family.
Remember when they were itty bitty?
Parents, Ryan and Jacqueline, threw them a party and invited the New Family to attend.
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| Ryan and Evan left, Jacquelyn and Emily right |
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| The first cake tradition. |
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| That is a BIG cake. It had cake balls in it. |
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| Family portrait. |
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| Chewy SweeTarts, yum! |
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| Buggy had fun. |
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| Dad and daughter open gifts. |
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| A clean outfit. |
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| Evan and Liesel. |
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| Hi Em! |
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| EJ and Evan made fast friends. |
And you have such a genteel and polite family.
Too Cute or Too Tawdry?
MOM and Dad both want Liesel to wear something that makes her instantly recognizable as a girl since, when out in public, too many people ask "Are they both boys?"
"Really?" they ask each other after-the-fact, "We would dress our one son in a pink outfit and stroll him around in a pink stroller?"
She is too young to have her ears pierced and Dad doesn't think it appropriate at a young age any way. So that won't suffice.
Both Mom and Dad dislike, with extreme prejudice, those infant headbands.
http://wanelo.com/p/2375057/pink-flower-headband-baby-girl-infant-newborn-headband-chiffon-lace-head-band
Not to insult anyone New Family blog reader's taste, the Parents know you like them and respect that. However, it is not for Liesel.
So they settled on a barrette. But Dad cannot decide if it is cute or tawdry.
Dad would be more comfortable if it served some purpose other than communicating to perfect strangers, "Hey, I am a girl!" But since she lacks sufficient hair to make it worthwhile, and strangers will ask silly questions anyway just to have something to say, he doesn't know if he likes it. Mom thinks it's adorable.
"Really?" they ask each other after-the-fact, "We would dress our one son in a pink outfit and stroll him around in a pink stroller?"
She is too young to have her ears pierced and Dad doesn't think it appropriate at a young age any way. So that won't suffice.
Both Mom and Dad dislike, with extreme prejudice, those infant headbands.
Not to insult anyone New Family blog reader's taste, the Parents know you like them and respect that. However, it is not for Liesel.
So they settled on a barrette. But Dad cannot decide if it is cute or tawdry.
Dad would be more comfortable if it served some purpose other than communicating to perfect strangers, "Hey, I am a girl!" But since she lacks sufficient hair to make it worthwhile, and strangers will ask silly questions anyway just to have something to say, he doesn't know if he likes it. Mom thinks it's adorable.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Can't Keep Him Down
NOW that EJ has figured out how to climb up on the couch, any object he fancies is reason for him to shimmy his way up.
Here he spied a cork trivet and had to have it.
He is so happy to have it.
But, he is still an infant and prone to falling. And he in fact did fall on to the carpet beneath and bumped his head. His eyes got real wide as he lay on his back and waited for just a moment before letting out a big wail. He wasn't hurt, but it scared him. Dad will have to be close by when he gets a hankering to climb. However, moments later the tears were forgotten and replaced by the desire to climb up again after he realized the trivet hadn't come with him.
Here he spied a cork trivet and had to have it.
He is so happy to have it.
But, he is still an infant and prone to falling. And he in fact did fall on to the carpet beneath and bumped his head. His eyes got real wide as he lay on his back and waited for just a moment before letting out a big wail. He wasn't hurt, but it scared him. Dad will have to be close by when he gets a hankering to climb. However, moments later the tears were forgotten and replaced by the desire to climb up again after he realized the trivet hadn't come with him.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tub Time
RESTORING that New Baby smell.
Every six months or so you gotta give 'em a bath whether they need it or not.
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| Liesel is first. |
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| Clean and dry with frizzy hair. |
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| EJ is next. |
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| He loves to splash in the water. |
Determination
EJ "protests" quite a lot when he doesn't get his way. But, he has shown remarkable determination.
With yo-yo weather once again warm he has exposed arms and legs which provide good traction on the leather couch, thus he has no need for a step stool.
Dad is convinced that, at this age, this kind of determination cannot be taught. A child either has it or does not. Fortunately EJ does. For awhile Dad was concerned that he did not because he gave up too easily. There was an instance when he encountered difficulty and decided to go and do something else rather than persist.
A strong will is a double edged sword. A child can use that will to accomplish remarkable feats, but can also use that will to defy parents. Dad would rather have strong willed child needing a rigorously structured environment to tame that will rather than a child of mild spirit.
Dad is happy for you Buddy.
With yo-yo weather once again warm he has exposed arms and legs which provide good traction on the leather couch, thus he has no need for a step stool.
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| He is after Dad's remote again. |
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| Not quite there. |
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| He has got his center mass up on deck. |
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| Enjoying his reward. |
Dad is convinced that, at this age, this kind of determination cannot be taught. A child either has it or does not. Fortunately EJ does. For awhile Dad was concerned that he did not because he gave up too easily. There was an instance when he encountered difficulty and decided to go and do something else rather than persist.
A strong will is a double edged sword. A child can use that will to accomplish remarkable feats, but can also use that will to defy parents. Dad would rather have strong willed child needing a rigorously structured environment to tame that will rather than a child of mild spirit.
Dad is happy for you Buddy.
Superstars
COUSIN Amelia shares her headband with Buggy. They look like lens-less sunglasses, but they are actually for holding back hair.
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| Buggy blue eyes |
Monday, May 13, 2013
Now that They Walk, Will They Want to Ride?
IT was a beautiful day to learn to walk. Mom and Dad decided to take them out and let them roam freely.
Yup, EJ is free standing now. Three days ago this was unimaginable. Now it is just another thing he does.
Yup, EJ is free standing now. Three days ago this was unimaginable. Now it is just another thing he does.
Onward! To the Park.
HAVING had enough of playing in the grass, the New Family headed to the park.
Now that the can walk, this mode of transportation will fall out of favor.
It was a perfect end to an eventful day (did Dad mention they walked today?)
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| Dad foresees the stroller's early retirement. |
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| They checked out the alligator. |
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| Buggy climbed the "stones." |
It was a perfect end to an eventful day (did Dad mention they walked today?)