Saturday 28 February 2009

Going with the flow

Yesterday's post made me think about all the times I have spent trying to outwit my children.

Like the two years trying to trick Shark, Squirrel and Tiger into wearing clothes. No one warned me about that. How all your brain cells are employed day and night working out how to keep a dress on a three year old. No. People did not tell me about stuff like that.

But then I changed tactics. Socks were first. I told Shark, Squirrel and Tiger that socks are pointless. Do not wear socks. If you must, wear them odd.

Squirrel delighted in left foot blue, right foot yellow. And much better for me than hiding three pairs of every colour in all locations including handbag, pockets, glove compartments and shopping bags, in case revolution kicked off half way to the post office. The old plan was I could smartly whip out a pair of pink socks, and restore social order. But the old plan never worked. Of course it never would. It was the wrong pink.

But with new tactics like this, outwitting small children became easier.

Knickers were next. Under trousers, forget knickers. There is no point. Coats went with the wind. Hats? Only pink hats that sang songs.

We were probably a rabble, tumbling down the street. Tiger in her pink wellies on the wrong feet, dressed as a mouse and no knickers. Shark, wearing her boy shoes and a red dress, home made to her design. Squirrel with odd socks. It was OK. Under my coat, I was in pyjamas.

Since then, these tactics have generally guided me in my approach to outwitting Shark, Squirrel and Tiger.

I know that some people might call these tactics surrender. I say Nope. Not a bit of it. It is simply a new form of winning.

5 comments:

Irene said...

You're damn right! A new way of winning it is indeed. That's exactly my attitude and I'm sticking to it. It's how I handle the dog and it works. Hurray for you!

kelly said...

glad it's not just me. I went to B&Q with boys dressed as spacemen, complete with helmets. I got a couple of stares, I just stared back, daring them to say some thing. No one did.

Firebird said...

I call it picking my battles. Some things just aren't worth fighting about, like dd spending today in her old ballet clothes. She's gone to the supermarket dressed as a fairy before and it makes people smile so where's the harm?

Grit said...

hello people, thank you for your comments. i regret now not photographing the oddball assemblage of garbage we routinely wore outside on our daily jobs. now it is gone, mostly, and i feel quite sad about that. but i suppose i will get another chance when we live through the years of teenage fashion.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful images! I might try that look next time I pop out for a pint of milk.

Blaming you if I get sectioned.