The business of kids....
What does it take to be effective in a business?
Well first I think you need to define your business. Mine. Kids. And here it is and so on it goes.
The justifications and conversations that an adult of my intellect can have with a nearly 7 and 9 ½ year old is, to put into tender terms, frightening. (For me that is)
First to know about 9 ½ year old boys… they don’t stop talking. Ever. They are at an age when they not only want to talk to you, they have discovered their mind may have an opinion that you, the adult, has never heard before. They repeat their thoughts and opinions over and over. And, when it comes time to be responsible, at 9 ½ years old they are black or white with no gray. They either want to be your greatest ally and partner or they want to be the oil in the water, the salt in the wound, the … oh crap the fact of the matter is they are defiant. Something interesting happens around the 8 to 9 ½ year old phase. It is no longer cute, adorable, or “little kid” temper… it is in your face... I am nearly a teenager (the thought of that makes me sick and queasy) and if you don’t figure that out soon lady it is gonna be a long next few years. Luckily for me I don’t ever go thru any of the things I just described. I would have no idea what it is like to say 7 times in a row to turn down the TV, 9 times to turn off the Wii, 4 times to brush his teeth. No. I have absolutely no idea. The gritting of teeth has destroyed my gum line. It is like breathing, it just is.
But - - I am going to keep this short and sweet and wonderful today. I am going to give you the best piece of information that should be told to every single new parent. It is from my incredibly wise father-in-law…. Are you ready for it? It will fix everything…
Instead of loud, repeating, yelling, slamming, gritting, rolling of the eyes, slamming the door, crying, wailing, and overall pleading… take control. Whisper in a calm controlled voice that is low and steady and is not angry – but it is so quiet that any child within a 10 foot radius will think you have lost your mind, an alien has taken over your body, and that their life is now in great peril (okay so the last one is a little extreme)… the fact of the matter is they will have to shut their traps long enough to hear if they have lost every privilege known to a child under the age of 10 or if they are having ice-cream for lunch.
Good Luck – I have more wisdom to put out there on this subject, however I must go and clean the bathroom and, well that is probably going to take a good part of my day. I live with boys. Ewww.
DevinAnne ©
Well first I think you need to define your business. Mine. Kids. And here it is and so on it goes.
The justifications and conversations that an adult of my intellect can have with a nearly 7 and 9 ½ year old is, to put into tender terms, frightening. (For me that is)
First to know about 9 ½ year old boys… they don’t stop talking. Ever. They are at an age when they not only want to talk to you, they have discovered their mind may have an opinion that you, the adult, has never heard before. They repeat their thoughts and opinions over and over. And, when it comes time to be responsible, at 9 ½ years old they are black or white with no gray. They either want to be your greatest ally and partner or they want to be the oil in the water, the salt in the wound, the … oh crap the fact of the matter is they are defiant. Something interesting happens around the 8 to 9 ½ year old phase. It is no longer cute, adorable, or “little kid” temper… it is in your face... I am nearly a teenager (the thought of that makes me sick and queasy) and if you don’t figure that out soon lady it is gonna be a long next few years. Luckily for me I don’t ever go thru any of the things I just described. I would have no idea what it is like to say 7 times in a row to turn down the TV, 9 times to turn off the Wii, 4 times to brush his teeth. No. I have absolutely no idea. The gritting of teeth has destroyed my gum line. It is like breathing, it just is.
But - - I am going to keep this short and sweet and wonderful today. I am going to give you the best piece of information that should be told to every single new parent. It is from my incredibly wise father-in-law…. Are you ready for it? It will fix everything…
Instead of loud, repeating, yelling, slamming, gritting, rolling of the eyes, slamming the door, crying, wailing, and overall pleading… take control. Whisper in a calm controlled voice that is low and steady and is not angry – but it is so quiet that any child within a 10 foot radius will think you have lost your mind, an alien has taken over your body, and that their life is now in great peril (okay so the last one is a little extreme)… the fact of the matter is they will have to shut their traps long enough to hear if they have lost every privilege known to a child under the age of 10 or if they are having ice-cream for lunch.
Good Luck – I have more wisdom to put out there on this subject, however I must go and clean the bathroom and, well that is probably going to take a good part of my day. I live with boys. Ewww.
DevinAnne ©
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