Archive for the 'Manners' Category

The Little Red Car

May 20, 2008 | Manners, Papa George, Snips And Snails

One of the problems of being an older parent of an only child — a child that is especially delightful and charming and works the strings of my heart like an angel strumming a harp — is not caving in and spoiling him rotten.  It takes a lot of restraint.  It takes a lot of that self-control stuff that I’m trying to teach him.

 

Antique Daddy and I believe that over-indulging the desires of Sean’s heart would be to abuse him.  We believe that it is good for Sean to not have everything he wants, to long for something a little bit, to have to save up for something.  I believe these things in theory.  In practice, I could use some practice.

 

Grandparents do not believe this in theory or practice.

 

* * * * *

 

In the past year or so, every time we have gone to Wal-Mart, Sean asks if we can stop and look at the little battery operated cars – Barbie cars, Lightning McQueen cars, Jeeps, John Deere tractors.  He stands in front of the wall of tiny vehicles and gazes upon their magnificence.  His eyes sparkle with desire.  I can see that he is imagining himself tooling around the neighborhood in the little red Lightning McQueen car waving to everyone he sees.

 

“Mom, can we get one of those little cars?” he asks.

 

“Well Sean, they’re really expensive. They cost about $300. That’s a lot of money,” I tell him.

 

“Please Mom, I really want one,” he pleads.

 

“I know you do.  That would be a really big present.  I’d have to talk to Daddy about that.”

 

“Maybe?” he asks, hopefully.

 

“Maybe someday,” I tell him. “We can’t buy everything we want.”

 

He doesn’t really understand that.  

 

* * * * *

 

Recently I got a Tuesday Morning ad in the mail and I noticed that they had a little red Dale Earnhardt battery-powered car for $99.  I was sorely tempted to run down to Tuesday Morning and get Sean one because a) it was only $99 and b) I was imagining how his eyes would light up when he saw it.  And I love it when I make his eyes light up, it jump starts my soul.

 

But I didn’t.

 

What stopped me was a) I would have to explain to Antique Daddy that I had breached our agreement for $99,  b) the little red car would have to occupy space in our garage that we do not have and c) that whole not over-indulging my child theory I’m supposed to be practicing.

 

* * * * *

 

Just before Mother’s Day the phone rang and it was Papa George – Papa George the grandfather who is immune from the rules governing the over-indulgence of children.

 

“Tell Sean I gotta surprise for him,” Papa George said in his Alabama drawl.

 

“Oh George,” I sighed.  “What have you done?” 

 

Papa George played the Grandpa card, confessed to buying the car, offered no apologies and hung up.

 

So we went to Tuna to celebrate Mother’s Day, and there it was in the middle of the living room — the little red car of Sean’s dreams. It was half way hidden under a blanket.  Like Houdini, Sean pulled the blanket away, clutched his heart and gasped in disbelief.

 

“I can’t believe my eyes!” he screamed.  “I have wanted one of these my entire life!”

 

Now, even if the story were to end here, y’all would probably be thinking, “That Papa George! What a fantastic grandpa!” And you would be right, but you have no idea.

 

Papa George is 81-years-old and his spine is crumbling. He has a hard time standing for 10 minutes at a time without white hot pain. It’s hard for him to get around.  Yet he got up at 6am, drove to Tuesday Morning and stood in line for two hours to get Sean the little red car. Two hours.

 

Papa George doesn’t know how to love small.

 

With no prodding from his parents, Sean jumped into the recliner with Papa George and gave him a big hug and a kiss and told him how much he liked the car.

 

I don’t know if that eased Papa George’s back pain any, but I’m sure it was good medicine for his heart.  It was for mine.

 

I’m just hoping a boy can be a little bit spoiled and not be rotten.

Cute Kid Quip #350

December 11, 2007 | Manners, Mildly Amusing

This morning:

AM: I love you Sean.

Sean: Oh. Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.

Emily Post Never Wrote About This

July 24, 2007 | Manners, Mildly Amusing

As we were standing in line waiting for the train at the zoo this morning, I looked down to see Sean poking his index finger deeply into the fluffy behind of the grandmotherly lady who was standing in front of us, which was unfortunately, at his eye level and apparently just too much to resist.

My eyes grew as big as saucers.

Just then, she turned to see what was going on. Caught red handed, Sean immediately put his hands behind his back and put on his practiced expression of remorse.

“Sean!” I admonished. “That is not nice. Keep your hands to yourself!”

I was mortified. “I’m so sorry,” I apologized and then I pressed Sean to offer his own apology.

“Sorry,” he said hanging his head. “It just wooked so squishy.”

“You’re just too irresistible!” I teased her hoping to diffuse the situation with humor. Luckily she took it well and laughed.

Then she bent over and cupped Sean’s face in her hands and said, “You my friend, are irresistible.”

You know, I go to considerable effort to teach Sean good manners. He is quick to say please and thank you. But it never once occurred to me that I would have to TELL HIM not to poke little old ladies in the butt.

Good Manners

July 17, 2007 | Manners

The other night, some friends had invited us over to their house to go swimming.  Sean was floating around on a little raft with the future Mrs. Sean while Antique Daddy and I stood nearby chatting up the grown ups.  I’m not sure what happened, but somehow he went overboard.

 

I saw him go in but I waited a split second to see what he would do – if he would try to swim to edge, if he would instinctively flap his way up to the surface and grab the side of the raft, if the expense and grief of swimming lessons had paid off.  Answer: no, no and L no.  He took to the water like a 30-pound bag of flour.  He was heading south.  So I jumped in and grabbed him and swam over to the edge of the pool.

 

With his arms around my neck, he blinked the water out of his eyes a couple times and very calmly said, “Thank you mommy for saving me.”

 

He may not be potty trained, but by cracky that boy has good manners. 

 

He will be the best mannered boy in diapers in kindergarten.  And his mother will be proud.

Magic Words

July 10, 2006 | Manners, Use Your Words

Manners are a big thing at the House of Antique. I happen to think that good manners and a well written thank you note can take you a long way in life. Consequently, I have made a considerable effort toward teaching Sean the basics and he is pretty good about saying “please” and “thank you”.

Just this morning as I handed him his sippy cup of milk he said, “Thank ya’ Mommy” like a little cowboy and my heart swelled with pride. And then I pulled his tiny index finger out of his nose and he wiped it on my shirt. We are still working on the not wiping boogers on other people part of manners.

So later today, when I heard him in another room rummaging around, I intuitively knew he was up to no good and I called to him to come. No response. “Sean, I need you to come here right now. I need to talk to you.” No response. “Sean if I have to come and get you, you will get a time out. Do you want a time out?”

And that’s when he pops his head around the corner, all smiles and dimples and says, “No thank you Mommy! I’m still playing.”

It’s really hard to give a time out to someone with good manners. Which only proves they really are magic words.

Wise Guy

March 20, 2006 | Manners, Use Your Words

Sean: Mommy! Get me milk!

AM: Get me milk? That’s not how you ask. How about “Get me milk pleeeease” maybe?

Sean: Mommy get me milk pleeeease maybe!

Those Magic Words

October 16, 2005 | Antique Childhood, Manners, Use Your Words

Courtesy is an important life skill. I don’t think you can begin teaching this too early. Sean and I are learning sign language together and the first signs we learned were “please” and “thank you”. I also think one of the best ways to teach your child is by example, so whenever we are at the grocery store or bank or a restaurant, I always make sure to say “please” and “thank you” to the clerks and waiters so that Sean might see that it is proper to treat everyone with respect and courtesy.

Just the other day Sean asked for something and he not only used the sign for “please” but also said “peas” (close enough). I was very happy that my work was paying off. Later that evening after Sean had gone to bed, I reported this progress to Antique Daddy.

Antique Mommy: Well, my diligence is paying off. Today, without any prodding from me, Sean used the magic words.
Antique Daddy: Abracadabra?
Antique Mommy: [blink]