Wednesday 9 January 2013

Boy #2 turns 7, & New Years Resolutions


Upstairs, folding laundry.  Suddenly, from downstairs there was a cry;

Boy #2:  "How do I turn it off?"

Me: "How do you turn what off?"

A moment's silence, then;

Boy #2:  "I can't turn it off!"

Me:  "You can't turn what off?"

Boy #2:  "I'm pressing the button but it just comes back on..."

My normal reaction at this point would be to go downstairs and sort the problem out, but since one of my few New Year's Resolutions this year is to do less for my children (as in, foster their independence), I forced myself to stay put.

Me:  "If you need me, come upstairs.  You know where I am."

Boy #2:  "But - but - how do I turn it OFF?"

Now I was starting to get concerned.  What was going on down there?  Still, we're only 9 days into the New Year and I had made that resolution, so...

Me:  "What are you talking about?  What are you trying to turn off?"

Boy #2:  "Oh.  It's off*.  Thanks, Mama."

Confused?

Happy 7th Birthday, Boy #2.  I love you whole-heartedly - and Life would be a lot less interesting without you to keep me on my toes...


What are your New Year's Resolutions?


* I later discovered that Boy #2 was talking about the XBox handset which he was using to pretend to control his brother (at that moment in time, a robot) and which he had inadvertently switched on.  Because that's what you do with your Christmas presents, apparently - use them for something entirely different to the function the were designed for.  This, I believe, is the 7 year old equivalent to playing with the cardboard box rather than the toy that arrived in it...


6 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Boy#2! An auspicious day as my dad was borm today as well though a consdierably loonger time ago than you!
    I'd have been down in a flash things that don't turn off are scary such as taps....but that's another story concerning my lot....

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  2. Did the controller work to control the brother better when it was on, or off?

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  3. Thankyou Tattie!

    Iota, do you know, I forgot to ask? Should have - it might come in handy when school restarts and we're trying to get there on time in the mornings...

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  4. Happy Birthday, Potski family:) it's a joint achievement afterall, and don't you just love the Russian tradition of celebrating the mums on their children's birthdays?

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  5. Bravo for sticking to your resolution. It will be better for your boys in the end and will make them feel much more empowered. I know how hard it is to do, though.

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  6. Happy 7th Birthday boy #2. Very much enjoying reading The Potty Diaries! x

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