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Observing a nine year old and a four year old

Posted by richrobinson 10 years, 11 months ago to The Gulch: General
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My wife and I didn't have children and we agreed to watch her nine year old nephew and four year old niece for a few days. Some things should be obvious but never having been parents it was a learning experience. I realize now that giving a nine year old boy a squirt gun when he has a four year old sister is a bad idea. I now know that when a nine year old says he won't torture his sister he means turn your back so I can torture my sister. I am now aware that a four year old girl doesn't think that a lawn mower and circular saw running at the same time should stop her from talking. She simply needs to talk LOUDER. Disciplining a four year old girl with big blue eyes is really really hard. Ice cream is not a vegetable. The best part was one day when I had to run a quick errand. I took the nine year old with me. I turned on the radio and told him to find something to listen to. After hitting five of the pre set buttons and passing up three classic songs he tuned in Glenn Beck. He said "awesome, can we listen to this?" I wiped away a tear and said "you are the chosen one...yes we can listen to this.

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  • Posted by UncommonSense 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    So were mine! haha. Yep, the USAF planes would fly over the 'town' ~ Thomas the tank engine, Theodore the Tugboat and suddenly, the missiles would 'home in' on tummy's, underarms, feet. Lot's of laughs. Good times.
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  • Posted by richrobinson 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I do a tickle missile. I make a noise and raise the finger into position. I announce that I am firing all tickle missiles. They laugh every time.
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  • Posted by richrobinson 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Absolutely. I think it's safe to say that most of the messages are intentional. One show was about a school glee club. Two of the kids thought each one was better than the other. In the end, of coarse, they realized they did better when they worked together and they were all the same. They should just work together and not compete against one another. Competition bad, collective thought good. Yuck.
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  • Posted by richrobinson 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Most of it is unnecessary in my opinion. I saw the kids go into an almost trance like state when certain programs were on.
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  • Posted by richrobinson 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    He owns the ranch but I interpret the rule to mean income. Farmers tend to put most of their money back into the land. If the government garnishes his income he would be finished.
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  • Posted by johnpe1 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    rich, I spanked a 12-year-old sister of my 18-year-old
    wife, for cursing out her grandmother, and never lived
    it down. it probably contributed to my desire never to
    have kids with that family, from mom-in-law's response --
    and that contributed to the divorce. it was not a good idea. -- j

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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    We strongly discourage it. They make a lot of stuff with themes that I disagree with and/or are too harsh for small children (the mom dying).
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  • Posted by Kittyhawk 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Does Bundy have wages? That would mean he's an employee of someone else, getting a paycheck. I had assumed he owned the ranch, but maybe it's a corporation and he's an employee?
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  • Posted by richrobinson 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    By torture I meant tickle and poke. Pretty lame but it makes a 4 year old crazy. For the most part they got along well. I have 3 brothers and we were much worse I am sure.
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  • Posted by wiggys 10 years, 11 months ago
    maybe it is okay for him to listen to glenn beck but what of his 4 year old sister. I too have a sister 5 years my junior and when we were 9 and 4 respectively doing anything anti social to her was never a thought and the same goes for my brother who was 2 years my senior. he should be taken behind the shed so he can learn that torturing his sister is not a good idea ever again.
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