Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

michaels

One of the saddest things re US gun availability is apparently it is a big factor behind the arming of the Mexican Drugs cartels and thus the social breakdown seen south of the border. The US not only provides the market and thus the money which produces the cartels but also the powerful weapons they use to take on the state.

GDB2222

LydiaJ wrote: »

Oh, she did get the plastic all over the place with gaps between the strips. Then she got sad and decided the result wasn't good enough and she needed me to give her a lot more help tomorrow and also better plastic bags - stronger plastic and a wider range of nicer colours. So now she wants to try to buy more bags - which defeats the idea that it's recycling rubbish. This is fairly typical for DD's craft attempts. I am still happy that she didn't (a) burn herself (b) burn the house down (c) damage the iron or ironing board or (d) refuse to clear up the mess. I haven't got as deciding to what lengths I'm prepared to go to help - I've had too much work to do tonight to consider it. However, my powerpoint and worksheet for tomorrow's lesson are ready, as long as I get into school with enough time to copy the worksheets before the lesson starts.

I looked at the instructions on the linky you posted, and my thought was that they were making it sound far easier than it is. I suppose it is possible that a skilled model maker on the TV can get it right first time, but not a less-skilled adult or a child. It's unfair to raise expectations like that, so that the child feels like a failure.

The kindest thing you can do is have a go with DD yourself this evening and make sure that you fail spectacularly the first time!

Less kind, but perhaps a more useful lesson in life, is to keep at it with her until you produce something halfway presentable between the two of you.

By the way, do as I say, not as I do! I'm a terrible dad, and I'd either give up or take over the project and do it to perfection.

lostinrates

Gdb, I find it hard to imagine you a terible dad. You seem kind and patient and have a gift of explaining things.

michaels

lostinrates wrote: »

Gdb, I find it hard to imagine you a terible dad. You seem kind and patient and have a gift of explaining things.

Good to see you back LIR we (well I ) was concerned.

lostinrates

michaels wrote: »

Good to see you back LIR we (well I ) was concerned.

Have I been quiet?:o. Hadn't noticed. I have been here. Just getting more done as weather has held and I have been feeling a bit brighter.

Have the house to myself for a week soon so bought a couple of books for the bath (presuming it works). Got 'Furture Tense' by jonathon sacks and the Daniel kahneman book ' thinking, fast and slow'. Thinking hurts so I am hoping I can force some more productivity into the the grey matter. We'll see.

Sorry to worry you:o.i am off again now (geese in, chickens in, horses check.....). Edit...that went quickly...everyone did exactly what they should have done....hmmm.

lostinrates

Do any of the nice people know Newcastle well?

GDB2222

lostinrates wrote: »

Gdb, I find it hard to imagine you a terible dad. You seem kind and patient and have a gift of explaining things.

I am better with other people's kids than my own, sadly.

Edit: And I don't know Newcastle, so sorry can't help.

LydiaJ

GDB2222 wrote: »

I looked at the instructions on the linky you posted, and my thought was that they were making it sound far easier than it is. I suppose it is possible that a skilled model maker on the TV can get it right first time, but not a less-skilled adult or a child. It's unfair to raise expectations like that, so that the child feels like a failure.

The kindest thing you can do is have a go with DD yourself this evening and make sure that you fail spectacularly the first time!

Less kind, but perhaps a more useful lesson in life, is to keep at it with her until you produce something halfway presentable between the two of you.

By the way, do as I say, not as I do! I'm a terrible dad, and I'd either give up or take over the project and do it to perfection.

Children's TV is always raising expectations with implausible craft suggestions. This evening she's not asking for different bags. She's decided that random collections of all the available colours just look like junk (and I agree with her) so she is fusing together large patches of single colours, which she will then cut into shapes and make a design with. I have taught her to do the ironing herself but have brought my laptop into the same room to keep an eye on her.

I too am sure you are not a terrible parent.... certainly not compared with me. DD wants and needs a lot more attention from me than I have energy to give her.

lostinrates wrote: »

Got 'Furture Tense' by jonathon sacks and the Daniel kahneman book ' thinking, fast and slow'. Thinking hurts so I am hoping I can force some more productivity into the the grey matter. We'll see.

I have "Thinking fast and slow" - got it for my birthday last summer. I think it's good.

Edit: Sorry, don't know Newcastle at all.

lostinrates

GDB2222 wrote: »

I am better with other people's kids than my own, sadly.

Edit: And I don't know Newcastle, so sorry can't help.

I guess other people's kids go home....so you probably rarely see the fattier side of the relationship with them and their parents.

I reckon aiming at being good enough is probably high enough fopr most parents. Fraught perfectionism is as flawed as a bit rubbish iyswim.

Anyway, I hate families today, so down with own families and up with nice fatherly sounding men on the Internet. Actually that sounds wrong...

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

Children's TV is always raising expectations with implausible craft suggestions. This evening she's not asking for different bags. She's decided that random collections of all the available colours just look like junk (and I agree with her) so she is fusing together large patches of single colours, which she will then cut into shapes and make a design with. I have taught her to do the ironing herself but have brought my laptop into the same room to keep an eye on her.

I too am sure you are not a terrible parent.... certainly not compared with me. DD wants and needs a lot more attention from me than I have energy to give her.



I have "Thinking fast and slow" - got it for my birthday last summer. I think it's good.

Edit: Sorry, don't know Newcastle at all.

Lydia...you are a FaNTASTIC mother. The kiddo's are proof of that. You are great.

Your dd is a ball of energy (it's beng such a 'sunshine' kid, she has all that sun explosive energy as well as the joie de vivre). And she would be tiring for any parents, let alone one, albeit 'super' mother. But even learning to occupy her self is a part of what you are teaching her, a great lesson, just one that sunshine children like her find harder because it's ALL happening and she wants to be a part of it, creating it.

I have seen you and your kids, very few peoe equal the job you are doing.