At times I find myself fighting a loosing battle against a power that is stronger than myself. It's call the POWER OF TWO, and in my case this power takes the form of Rowan and Callum.
Let me tell you that two mischievous, 4 year old brains are sometimes more cunning than my sensible mum brain.
On Monday Ailish had finished her swimming lesson and we were on our way out of the building when Rowan shot out of the door and his speedy little legs took him out into the carpark and towards our car. Before I could yell stop Callum thought that he would follow his older brother (only by 1 minute) and took off following his lead.
At that moment I had a few quick decisions to make. First, I surveyed the immediate coming and goings of cars and noted that there were no immediate dangers. Secondly, I knew from previous experience that if I ran after them and tried to stop one then the other would duck and weave out of my way and keep running. And thirdly, I had to decide whether I was going to start screaming like a women possessed at them to stop running and bring unwanted attention and judgement on myself.
I decided to let them go and took a short cut through the garden beds in the hope that I could cut them off...I didn't.
They reached the car at lightening speed.
I was cross...no furious, that they had not listened to my initial instruction of staying close and put themselves in harms way. I thought given that this potentially could have been a very dangerous situation I bent down, and with steam coming out of my ears and my veins popping out of my neck, grabbed them both by the arms and looked them straight in the eyes and told them sternly that they had been verry naughty for not listening and for running out onto the road where there were lots of cars that can hurt them.
I wanted them to understand that this was a very dangerous situation that they had put themselves in. I wanted to scare them into never doing that again.
Once I had finished and just when I thought that maybe they had understood that there actions were wrong, Rowan looked in me in the eyes and said....
"Huh huh mum you couldn't catch us"
At that moment I almost burst into laughter. He was correct. Their little legs can move at lightening speed and they know that I can only catch one at time.
I stood up, and ensuring that they didn't see the smirk on my face marched them into the car.
Two is definitely better than one - ask Rowan and Callum.
6 comments:
Ah ha ha ha! This happens to me! I think they wait for you to stop lecturing.. it's only words coming from your mouth, it rarely means anything to them. Let mom say her "piece", whatever it is, then we chime in with the unexpected tease or rebuttal. MMMM maddening, but so kids. They run our lives, don't they? p.s... didn't know those were twin boys you had!!! What a bunch!
Is that what I have to look forward to with two boys??? Oh no!! It might be easier with them 2 years apart and not 1 minute... maybe not...
Love this story Kristy. What a joy they are and to think your joy comes in doubles....Love...A/Di
it doesn't get any better - they just become slightly more articulate in their responses and rebuttals...the worst is when they actually have a point!! more often than not it's feels like all they hear is that sound the grown-ups are given on the snoopy shows - "a-wohw, a-wohw, wohw, wohw, wohw" - i'm just guessing on the spelling?!
good luck in your next 3 second dash event!
Does it only take two to make a mob? Because it can sure feel like that. I have just started to ask Zac to give me keys points of the lecture I just gave him. We're in the infancy of this new trial of parenting. some days I feel I have way too much first hand knowledge of behaviour management. My old lecturers wouldn't be too impressed with some of my strategies but lets face it some times we just have to improvise we can't always get baselines.
i really couldnt help but laugh while reading your post
i only have one and i know how hard that is so i dont envy you :)
dee
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