I'm kinda grouping up some posts with a "Things Siena says" or "Siena Hacks" or "Tooling - fitting yourself for success"...
This one centered on a common theme - problems with dinner / manners / eating... etc.
My wife and I spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to manage the "family eating" environment. We embody good habits - and good manners. But the persistence of bad manners with the kids is... almost impressive. Well - kid. Kyra is still under 1 - so her manners aren't being examined here... I digress..
Siena is at the island - "eating dinner". I put eating dinner in quotes because she isn't actually eating anything. She's playing "near" her food. Rolling up her placemat. Moving things around.
No matter what is said - almost no progress is being made (or even attempted) at dinner.
After several minutes of this - I start down the road of finding something to help focus the conversation:
Me: "Siena - quit playing with your placemat."
Siena - ... continues playing with the placemat.
Me: Siena - I said, quit playing with the placemat and eat your dinner.
Siena - .... starts rolling her placemat into a tube.
Me.... exasperated.... "SIENA! I said quit playing with your placemat!!!!"
Siena - pauses for a moment - continues to make it into a tube...
I walk over - "Siena - help me out here - I'm so frustrated - what should I do when I ask you specifically not to do something - but you do it anyway.... ???"
Siena - looks nervously around....
Me: "Well???"
Siena - "You could take a deep breath?"
Me - "...and then what?"
Siena - "Count to four."
Siena - "One...
Siena - "Two"
Siena - "Three........"
Me - "..... and then?"
Siena - "Four! There - don't you feel better?!"
Me. "Actually - yes I do. We'll have to get back to this issue later. <mumbles and wanders off>"
This one centered on a common theme - problems with dinner / manners / eating... etc.
My wife and I spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to manage the "family eating" environment. We embody good habits - and good manners. But the persistence of bad manners with the kids is... almost impressive. Well - kid. Kyra is still under 1 - so her manners aren't being examined here... I digress..
Siena is at the island - "eating dinner". I put eating dinner in quotes because she isn't actually eating anything. She's playing "near" her food. Rolling up her placemat. Moving things around.
No matter what is said - almost no progress is being made (or even attempted) at dinner.
After several minutes of this - I start down the road of finding something to help focus the conversation:
Me: "Siena - quit playing with your placemat."
Siena - ... continues playing with the placemat.
Me: Siena - I said, quit playing with the placemat and eat your dinner.
Siena - .... starts rolling her placemat into a tube.
Me.... exasperated.... "SIENA! I said quit playing with your placemat!!!!"
Siena - pauses for a moment - continues to make it into a tube...
I walk over - "Siena - help me out here - I'm so frustrated - what should I do when I ask you specifically not to do something - but you do it anyway.... ???"
Siena - looks nervously around....
Me: "Well???"
Siena - "You could take a deep breath?"
Me - "...and then what?"
Siena - "Count to four."
Siena - "One...
Siena - "Two"
Siena - "Three........"
Me - "..... and then?"
Siena - "Four! There - don't you feel better?!"
Me. "Actually - yes I do. We'll have to get back to this issue later. <mumbles and wanders off>"
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