Laughing = Permanent emotional scars?...

[budnkota]

My son was crushed today b/c the maintenance man pushed the elevator button and he wanted to do it. He stood with arms crossed, quietly glaring at the elevator door behind the pumpkin mask he was wearing. Being the horrible person I am, I snickered a little bit as we got out. He turned and said in his most earnest voice "Don't laugh at me! I am angry and jealous and upset and you don't laugh."
Jealous? I didn't even know he knew that word. So it made me laugh again. Poor kid. He was dead serious in his angst and his mother laughs.

I think it's his seriousness when he says it that makes it so darn funny. Anybody else find it hard to keep a straight face when you child is expressing something?

 

[HappyMomma]

LOL, that's cute. I would've chuckled too.

 

[fallon]

I do for sure. sometimes the mad they get the funnier it is...lol

 

[Dadu2004]

So, a few weeks ago I was putting Delaney in bed. Normally, I let her lay in my bed until she falls asleep then move her to her bed. Usually my fiancee lays with us, but this time she was out doing her homework for school, so she didn't. Delaney asked if Heather would be coming in, when the following conversation ensued:

Delaney: Is Heather coming in?
Me: No, she's working on homework.
Delaney: I don't have any homework at my mom's.
Me: Oh really?
Delaney: Actually, I do, but I forgot to do it. *Sigh* I'm a loser.

I laughed for days about that!

 

[Claire64]

I end up laughing at my kids a lot when they're trying to tell me something serious. Like when Kathleen was so upset because her brother went in her room and spilled his drink, so she was going to have to spend "all day and all night" cleaning it up.

 

[dadof3boys]

Usually if I laugh --good-naturedly -- at my boys when something happens to them, I can pull them out of a cry. Not always, but I'll take any strategy that works most of the time. I think it works because it makes them less self-conscious about falling down, messing up, etc. I know public embarrassment was a huge fear for me when I was little.

As far as the elevator story that began this thread ... I've been in that position a lot. Whenever I go to the mall with my 5- and 3-year-old, they believe they are entitled to push the elevator buttons. If someone else is sharing the elevator with us, my boys are aghast that someone else would push the button.

 

[musicmom]

I find myself trying not to laugh all the time.
My husband came here last weekend and I was watching him discipline our daughter and she was being stubborn and pulling my husbands leg. I was laughing so hard! It's funny to see them mess with other unknowing adults, they think they will fall for their crap.

 

[budnkota]

As far as the elevator story that began this thread ... I've been in that position a lot. Whenever I go to the mall with my 5- and 3-year-old, they believe they are entitled to push the elevator buttons. If someone else is sharing the elevator with us, my boys are aghast that someone else would push the button.

try having one in the building! We use the thing about 4 times a day, but heaven forbid somebody else push that button! Usually he pouts, which I am OK with. What ticks me off is when he cries about it. Especially most people if they see him coming will let him do it (most people are really considerate of little kids). It's generally when we are coming and somebody's already at the elevator or something. He can really hold a grudge though.

I've laughed at him a lot lately. He told me that if I did something, he was going to put me in time out and when I got done, he was going to put me in timeout again. He's big on telling me how it is right now... I'm sure his dad would tell me to put an end to it, but to me, it's just harmless attempts at self-expression and asserting himself. I can see the other side, but I'm OK w/it at this point..

 

[dadof3boys]

I feel the same way, but it can be really awkward when my son goes into a mini tantrum because he can't hit the elevator button. Then again, awkward moments are pretty much a part of life as a parent.

 

[AmyBelle]

Bek is like that with the pedestrian crossing buttons. She fumes when the lollypop lady is there because she always presses it for you, she says "Mum, that lolly lady is there, lets come back later"

 

[budnkota]

lollipop lady? Is that a local eccentric or something?

 

[Poollady]

OpenDNS: I love that you named your daughter Delaney Maybe after the Jimmy Buffet song Delaney Talks to Statues? I absolutely LOVE that song. It makes me well up every time I hear it.

 

[Dadu2004]

OpenDNS: I love that you named your daughter Delaney Maybe after the Jimmy Buffet song Delaney Talks to Statues? I absolutely LOVE that song. It makes me well up every time I hear it.

Thank you...honestly, my ex-wife picked out that name. Not sure where she came up with it...I like it though!

 

[OurPreciousHand]

It's hard not to laugh at the things kids get upset over! I think it actually helps them when you laugh so they can realize that some things are just not that big of a deal and can be laughed off.

 

[CapriSun]

i agree, once my little daughter christy yelled and me for vacuuming up her little doll hairs that she pulled out, i felt soo bad but i could not stop snickering.

 

[(D)w C0O\_]

dang caprisun....how you suck up a whole doll? that is funny though, especially if she was playing with it a t the time.

anyways...i have experienced a simular ocasion...
my son daniel was riding his new bike that i had just purchased for his birthday. he wanted to go helmetless as so many youngsters do. he wouldnt stop crying, but i thought, "what if i let him go helmetless?" so i did. Well he ended up getting his shoelace caught in the bike chan and taking a face plant into the side walk. The sad part was i started cracking up. I was in a fit of hysteria! i felt so bad afterwards, but i could not stop laughing. I stopped laughing when i got the doctors bill for the 9 stictches he had to have though......

 

[CapriSun]

i recommend you switch your son Daniels shoes from laces to velcro, this will insure that an accident like this will not repeat itself.

 

[AmyBelle]

lollipop lady? Is that a local eccentric or something?

It must be an Australian thing... you know, the crossing supervisors that have that big stick with the round "stop" on the top that kind of looks like a giant lollypop.

 

[budnkota]

ah.... OK. Closest thing I've seen to that is the school crossing guards. ANd they just hold a little stop sign with a little handle.

 

[AmyBelle]

Heres one