Author: suburbandaddy

The Start Of Something

I got a glimpse of something today that I’m sure there will be a lot more of. It’s an inevitable part of kids growing up today with so much technology.

Thing 2 turned seven years old this week. He has been wanting a Nintendo DSi for a long time and finally got his wish.

Thing 1 has had his for a year. But only now, with two in the house, is he getting the full experience. He discovered something called Pictochat. It’s a chat room app that lets you write handwritten messages to other DSi’s in the vicinity.

Thing 1 and 2 were going back and forth writing silly messages. Then it kicked up a notch. Thing 1 gave a dare to his brother. He dared him to run to the basement. Naked. He wanted him to streak through the living room and kitchen areas.

I’m not sure which is worse. That Thing 1 dared his younger brother to do this. Or, that Thing 2 was fully prepared to do it until I put a quick end to it. I can’t wait to see what they’re like as teenagers.

Football Highlight Reel

Here is a collection of highlights from Thing 2’s flag football game today. In the first clip, Thing 2 (jersey #4) is playing quarterback for the first play of the game. In the next clip, he completes a pass for a touchdown. The third clip is Thing 2 faking a pass, then taking off on a quarterback draw for the two point conversion. In the final highlight, Thing 2 airs it out for a deep pass.

Beware Dangerous Fruit Snacks

Fruit snacks are a staple in our house. The 5th food group. The top of the food pyramid.

Trying to get the kids to school on time? Fruit snacks. Need to calm down a cranky kid at the store? Fruit snacks.

I have fruit snacks stashed in the car, in coat pockets, and any other place I may need them. We buy fruit snacks by the truckload at Costco.

But I guess I’ve never actually read what’s on the box until now. Apparently, fruit snacks are dangerous and should only be fed to seated, supervised children. Well, when does that happen?

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And, apparently they also contain Carnauba Wax. That doesn’t sound very good for them.

The Team Approach

Getting any almost 5 year old to stay focused and not be distracted is a challenge. With Thing 3 it’s impossible.

A seemingly simple request to go upstairs and put his pajamas on turns into an endless string of diversions. He is distracted by so many shiny objects along the way, by the time he gets upstairs he forgets why he went there in the first place.

Then he gets mad, because he can’t go in the basement, because his pajamas aren’t on, so he goes back upstairs and the cycle starts over. Meanwhile, his brothers had their pajamas on long ago and are playing in the basement.

Today I came up with a new approach. I call it the team approach. I said to Thing 2 and Thing 3, “You are a team. The team goes in the basement when the team has their pajamas on.”

I knew this would have no effect on Thing 3. He was already onto a new shiny object. But for Thing 2, this was the motivation I was looking for. He went upstairs with Thing 3, picked out his pajamas, and pushed on him to put them on.

Instead of being a new distraction for Thing 3 and getting silly with him, Thing 2 kept him focused. Thing 3 listened to his brother way better than he ever does with me. And I didn’t even need to be upstairs!

Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I am a genius. Wait a second. I’ve thought that before and it always backfires. There must be a flaw here but I’m not seeing it.