Throw flour? Not MY child !!!

      Anyone that's ever been around children, even if they aren't your own, probably has a story to tell. Then came out a story showing 2 little boys covering a living room in flour.  Then, of course, the questions followed, "Is it real or was it staged?" I don't have the answer and wasn't going to waste my time deciphering the footage. What I do know?  It can and does happen, as I was witness to it in my very own apartment.  My sweet little boy was 2 - 2 1/2 when I locked him in the front room with me.  Safe environment and mom was tired, I turned it into one giant playpen, couch included.  Popped good old Sesame Street vhs in, Frank was instantly glued to the boob tube and I laid back and fell asleep.

     We all know that vhs tapes only run for so long.... but the amount of time it took Frank to wake me up?  I'll never know.  I awoke to something lightly hitting me in the face and it wasn't that sweet little boys' tiny fingers - no, it was DIRT !!!!!  I was the only surface left in the entire room not covered in a fine film of potting soil !!!  Safe place for everything but my houseplant seated conveniently on the coffee table well within the reach of a 2-year-old.  How he ever figured out to save me for last, (lest I wake up and ruin his fun) has plagued me to this day.  I didn't get mad as he was merely occupying himself but I do wish I had thought to get a picture.  He got a bath (diaper was full of soil not poo), I cleaned up the mess and I am happy to inform one and all; he has never thrown dirt at me since !!!

Frank with water-based markers.

  Recently, I read an article concerning children and arguing with them.  Basically, do you explain everything to them until they understand the reason or do you say enough is enough? "It's time for bed." As opposed to "you need your rest, you'll learn better with a good nights' sleep", etc?

     My son was a pistol.  You can love them for being smart, but when it's bedtime?  You rule the roost. The 'why do I have to' questions soon got answered with 'because I said so'. No more stalling,  end of discussion, period. Lights out.

     Frank was 5 or 6 and playing quietly in the living room while my ex-second husband and I were mildly discussing, back and forth,  what we thought were the right points of the matter (our own) when my son finally; tired of listening to us, looked at Terry, straight in the eye and stated, matter-of-factly, "Because she said so." (Ex must have said "Why?".) After we busted out laughing, my son then said, "I bet that would win on America's Funniest Home Video!" And I think he might have been right.

     He's 22 now and still quick as a whip with a comeback.

     

"EMBRACE THE GREY"