May5

When genius backfires

Posted on May 5, 2015 by ParentingIsFunny

My friend Anita shared this:

Last week my youngest two children discovered a fly in the house. Pure terror! One screamed her head off as it landed on her head. Every time it flew by they screamed and cried. I quickly reassured them that he was friendly, his name is George and he is our new pet. Problem solved! Now they look for him, share their food with him and protect him from potential dangers (like Daddy’s swatting dish towel). Not looking forward to the day he disappears.”

So close….

I was surprised to find so many people posting on Facebook that Kate Middleton had a baby girl. Do we really care? Although one mom had a great take on the whole thing. She wrote, “I kind of want to tell my daughter that in Britain, there’s a PRINCESS who just had a BABY who is also a PRINCESS, but I’m afraid that she might explode.”

Now that is news worthy.

The tiniest scroll down found this gem from the same friend.

“I’m pretty sure there’s a lizard loose in my car and I’m not sure what to do about it. Unrelatedly, is anyone in the market for a used 2001 Toyota Sienna? Leather seats, 6-disc CD changer, free lizard.”

Is it any wonder why I like her?

Have you ever told your children a reassuring story only to have to blow up in your face?

24 responses »

vikingspaul on May 5, 2015 at 11:02 am said:

My favorite is the lizard one. Better get that car soon if you want that lizard!

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 5, 2015 at 11:05 am said:
  
  Yes, it’s very tempting. I’d better not introduce him to George, though. (Do lizards eat flies?)
  
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Carrie Rubin on May 5, 2015 at 11:49 am said:

That first one just goes to show that children learn to respond to situations based on our reactions to them. For something serious, like a tornado warning, it doesn’t do our children any good if we act scared and emotional and run around the house crying, “We’re all going to die!” If we’re calm and controlled and take the necessary actions, kids will role-model this behavior (and same goes for other situations). Oops. Guess I got a little serious there, but the funny fly story made me think of it. 🙂

And yes, I don’t get all the princess hoopla either. Then again, I never have…

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 5, 2015 at 11:53 am said:
  
  Totally agree. On a much smaller scale, I’ve been working on my increased disinterest when they bump their toes or scrape their pinkies so they don’t have to run to me with every. single. tiny. owie. Now I just ask, “Is it bleeding? … Is it going to fall off? … Then run along.” Eventually they’ll catch on, right?
  
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  - Carrie Rubin on May 5, 2015 at 12:36 pm said:
    
    Exactly. Same thing with fear of spiders. If parents freak out about seeing a spider, their kids often will too. Or in my case, snakes. Icky.
    
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  - ParentingIsFunny on May 5, 2015 at 12:39 pm said:
    
    I can do spiders okay, and my children follow suit. Snakes, especially where I currently live, no way, despite the fact that, as a child in Ohio, I would catch gardener snakes. Catching a snake here would send me to the hospital. In other words, in this case, freaking out is life saving. 😉
    
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  - Carrie Rubin on May 5, 2015 at 1:25 pm said:
    
    But freaking out in a controlled manner, of course. 😉
    
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  - ParentingIsFunny on May 5, 2015 at 1:34 pm said:
    
    But of course! 🙂
    
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Andrew on May 5, 2015 at 12:11 pm said:

I’ve tried with my grandkids, but seems that their mother and Gran have already taught them not to believe much of what grandpa says…

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 5, 2015 at 12:25 pm said:
  
  Haha! Awh, that’s too bad. 🙂
  
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Allie P. on May 6, 2015 at 6:40 am said:

My son watched a PBS documentary on tornados and absolutely freaked out that night before going to bed. “What if one comes while I am asleep?!” I told him there was nothing to lose sleep over. If one threatened, my cell phone’s alarm would go off. I explained the concept of watches and warnings. Now, every thirty minutes I have to show him the weather app on my phone, even though the wind is 0mph and skies are blue. Perhaps next time I should just let him watch cartoons.

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 6, 2015 at 9:14 am said:
  
  Oh, man. That’s rough. I remember being terrified of tornadoes as a kid, even without a PBS special. Poor guy. Poor you! I guess I did the same thing with my oldest when she was about 1-2. I had to sternly warn her about moving cars. From then on, I had to carry her in every parking lot for a year, she was so scared of cars!
  
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Our Life In 3D on May 6, 2015 at 4:52 pm said:

ALL THE TIME! Frequently my stories go so awry. I’ll start on something, and my wife will know where it is going and just start shaking her head.. I am that predictably wrong… 🙂 do you have cat? put your cat in the car. the lizard should leave then..

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 6, 2015 at 4:57 pm said:
  
  Ha! So sorry. Must be tough being a dad. I don’t know if my friend has a cat or not. Perhaps I’ll suggest she borrow one for the cause.
  
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Nina on May 9, 2015 at 9:30 am said:

Hilarious how the fly story turned around! I guess it’s a better option than being terrified of it though, right?

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 9, 2015 at 9:33 am said:
  
  Indeed. I hope the kids don’t get too upset when it’s gone!
  
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naptimethoughts on May 11, 2015 at 10:42 am said:

I’m sort of surprised that I followed the princess or dutchess or whatever she is’s new baby. She’s cute. And I kind of like babies. When they belong to someone else.
I’m over it now.

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 11, 2015 at 10:43 am said:
  
  I totally understand.
  
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  - naptimethoughts on May 11, 2015 at 11:04 am said:
    
    We’re done. Two is enough for us, but one of my neighbors just had a baby, and she smells so good, and she’s so little, and I just want to eat her up… It’s just a good thing I had the husband fixed or we might be in trouble.
    
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  - ParentingIsFunny on May 11, 2015 at 11:45 am said:
    
    New babies are delicious, it’s true. I sometimes still sniff my 5yo. She’s still got it!
    
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Becky on May 11, 2015 at 4:15 pm said:

My girls scream about ants in their room. I told them to get used to it, ants in the house are a part of summer. That didn’t work. Like your friend I told them they were our pets. We named the big one Crumby. Bad idea. They crushed a bunch of crackers and put them on a Barbie, doll house serving tray. Having them be named was also a bad idea because when I squashed one the girls argued which one of their pets DIDN’T get killed. I try so hard to keep the peace…

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 11, 2015 at 4:18 pm said:
  
  Awh man. We just kill bugs on sight here. My five year old, when she was four, caught and squished a fly with her fingers. It was gross and a little disturbing, actually. But then, this is also the girl who, at dinner, asked if she could have more “dead pig.” I guess not much phases her.
  
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OpShoptimist on May 24, 2015 at 9:46 pm said:

My explanations of how Father Christmas delivers the presents on Christmas Eve are becoming more and more convoluted as mr 7 is growing up and asking more questions about the logistics of the Vhristmas Eve present run. My husband just looks at me in despair as I endeavour to keep the Christmas story alive…..

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- ParentingIsFunny on May 24, 2015 at 10:03 pm said:
  
  Oh, dear. The wheels are going to have to eventually come off on that one. Best of luck to you when they do!
  
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