I have a question, a survey of sorts, to pose to any readers with early childhood experience, or other insight, into dealing with brotherly teasing. This is an issue I try to curb as much as possible, because little things always end up turning into big things. Then I end up with a headache.
So here is the situation, my four year old, Monkey, has no problem with having girlfriends. For a while, he didn't really have a definition for what a girlfriend is, but I always follow up when he talks about girlfriends by asking, "What is a girlfriend?" His answer to me used to be, "She's a girl and she's my friend." But lately his answer has evolved into, "It has to do with kissing, Mom." I, of course, had to ask, "You kiss, P, Mo, and Ma?" I was relieved when he said, "No, Mom. You can't kiss at school." Also, lately, he's added another girl to his list of "girlfriends".
The new girlfriend is my seven year old's, The Scientist's, friend J. The Scientist has no problem with Monkey saying J is his girlfriend. What The Scientist does have a problem with is Monkey saying that J is The Scientist's girlfriend. J is a girl, she is The Scientist's friend, but at this stage in his psychological development having someone say that someone else is your girlfriend really bothers him. He loves playing with J. We've have a semi-standing playdate every Friday evening swimming and then going out to eat. I need to know how to help him feel comfortable with having J as his friend and still deal with any teasing, which with other little boys seems to be occuring now. With Monkey I'm usually around to make him stop teasing his brother about it and explain the meaning of girlfriend in the context of J as The Scientist's friend. I don't know why Monkey's started this other than it is something he found that he can do to push The Scientist's buttons and sometimes that what he wants to do. Any thoughts/suggestions/comments?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
I don't have long but...
A few things I wanted to get off of my chest...My last blog when I mentioned my neighbor's dog I said a form of "dear" like a billion times. Greta was a very sweet dog and very loved by her family, friends, and neighbors. However, it is possible that my comp professor from last year will read this blog, and I don't want her to think that I've somehow regressed into a world of redundant writing. I like to think that I have not, but since I am not given a grade which will add or detract from my college GPA, I am a bit less intense about checking for errors than I was with any papers for class.
I've also started a new semester at school. I've mentioned before what I'm taking, but I don't feel like looking through my blog archives to find the exact entry to hyperlink, so the classes I have this semster are Developmental Psych, Anatomy and Physiology I, Macroeconomics, and American History I. My first week went great. I enjoy the topics in the classes and enjoy most of my professors. I have two classmates from last semester in three of my classes this semester, which is always nice. The class that I know no one is Macroeconomics. I think it will be a fun class. The teacher is a trip and talks like a radio announcer or the guy who announces the rules at the Omnimax. Plus he's really interactive and runs a tight ship. I like those kinds of professors. I already have a ton of reading, but have enjoyed getting back into the learning environment. Throughout the week this week I just kept thinking how I really love community college.
I'm eager to move on to the next portion of my nursing education, but in the meantime I'm really enjoying school. The campus is great. I like how it's laid out. The Campus Life group holds a lot of functions. This week I attended my first and it was an inaugural party for Obama. They had two big screens which played CNNs coverage of the event. Luckily, I had a break in between classes and was able to watch a majority of the actual inauguration. After the ceremony there were beverages, sandwiches, chicken, and taquitos. It was nice. I would get more into that but have lost my blogging momentum...
I've also started a new semester at school. I've mentioned before what I'm taking, but I don't feel like looking through my blog archives to find the exact entry to hyperlink, so the classes I have this semster are Developmental Psych, Anatomy and Physiology I, Macroeconomics, and American History I. My first week went great. I enjoy the topics in the classes and enjoy most of my professors. I have two classmates from last semester in three of my classes this semester, which is always nice. The class that I know no one is Macroeconomics. I think it will be a fun class. The teacher is a trip and talks like a radio announcer or the guy who announces the rules at the Omnimax. Plus he's really interactive and runs a tight ship. I like those kinds of professors. I already have a ton of reading, but have enjoyed getting back into the learning environment. Throughout the week this week I just kept thinking how I really love community college.
I'm eager to move on to the next portion of my nursing education, but in the meantime I'm really enjoying school. The campus is great. I like how it's laid out. The Campus Life group holds a lot of functions. This week I attended my first and it was an inaugural party for Obama. They had two big screens which played CNNs coverage of the event. Luckily, I had a break in between classes and was able to watch a majority of the actual inauguration. After the ceremony there were beverages, sandwiches, chicken, and taquitos. It was nice. I would get more into that but have lost my blogging momentum...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The last weekend before school starts...
It is now the last Thursday before school starts for me. I am both excited (because this pushes me a little bit more toward my goal of becoming a nurse) and anxious (there will be a lot of studying for the classes this semester and less time to have get togethers with friends). I'm looking forward to my anatomy and physiology class and hoping that I'm able to do as well in it as I did with the rest of my classes last semester. I've really enjoyed my time off. Jake was off most of the boys Christmas break and, while it was nice to have some time to myself during the day, I wasn't at the point of "Get my children out of my house before I lose it!" It was nice to have time to spend with our little family. Then, after the boys went back to school I had a week and a half of laidback housewife-life. I went to coffee with friends. I visited some of those same friends. I went to playdates that were for the kids, without my kids, and visited with my mom-friends. I kept the house relatively clean. I cooked dinner for the family where we were able to sit together around the table.
Sitting together around the table is something I'm hoping eventually pays off. Right now it's a bit of a chore. We are trying to push the learning of manners. This is something I have to teach not only the children, but my husband. We had rolls tonight and my husband took his butter knife and cut (read smooshed it through) the middle of his roll, and the roll he was preparing for a child. I said, "I know this is advanced manners, but you aren't supposed to cut your dinner roll." He said, "Pssshhhh. Whatever, that's stupid." Then he proceeded to say, "Would you pass me a roll?" I said, "You didn't ask politely." So he looked at Monkey and said, "Please, would you pass me a roll, please." Then he felt the need to bring up Lambert's, which I feel is not a good idea when you're trying to instill table manners. Luckily, the boys didn't pick that up and run with it. It's bad enough teaching table manners to three boys without them thinking it's okay to throw food around the room.
I also wanted to mention a dear soul who passed away and will be dearly missed. Our neighbors across the street lost their dear Greta after twelve loving years. Our sympathy goes out to you M and D.
Sitting together around the table is something I'm hoping eventually pays off. Right now it's a bit of a chore. We are trying to push the learning of manners. This is something I have to teach not only the children, but my husband. We had rolls tonight and my husband took his butter knife and cut (read smooshed it through) the middle of his roll, and the roll he was preparing for a child. I said, "I know this is advanced manners, but you aren't supposed to cut your dinner roll." He said, "Pssshhhh. Whatever, that's stupid." Then he proceeded to say, "Would you pass me a roll?" I said, "You didn't ask politely." So he looked at Monkey and said, "Please, would you pass me a roll, please." Then he felt the need to bring up Lambert's, which I feel is not a good idea when you're trying to instill table manners. Luckily, the boys didn't pick that up and run with it. It's bad enough teaching table manners to three boys without them thinking it's okay to throw food around the room.
I also wanted to mention a dear soul who passed away and will be dearly missed. Our neighbors across the street lost their dear Greta after twelve loving years. Our sympathy goes out to you M and D.
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