02 March 2011

Take my advice. . . please

For a few years now, as soon as I start dancing, my son demands (begs, huffs, vomits, cries, sneers) that I cease and desist. At once.
Usually this goads me into dancing even more.... although sometimes I stop for a little while, until I start again.  It is very hard NOT to dance because we listen to music in our kitchen.  Well, when I'm in the kitchen, I'm typically doing boring unskilled labor - so music sustains me.  My son, on the other hand, is often reading, doing homework, talking - all of which, for him, require the music at high volume.  You see my dilemma.  It's not that I want to be a pain in the neck. . .
I ALWAYS used to say to him that the problem was that he was just too easy to provoke.  I'd say, "If you ignore me, I'll feel like an idiot, and I'll stop."   I'd say something similar about other situations; for example, when his sister V would provoke him.  Oh, or his dad... when he'd try to rob L's food, or something.  WHY can I not think of any better examples?  My point was that,  at times by reacting too obviously to something, we make ourselves too irresistible a target, right?  I mean, I still think there is some truth to this.
     Guess how my son finally managed to get me to stop dancing around in the kitchen?  A simple xylophone riff indicates that we've entered flashback: 

I had been noticing that my son didn't react to my dancing as much, and I was beginning to think, "Hallelujah!  I can finally enjoy the music without expressive censorship again!  L is growing out of that phase, I guess."
Until, not too many days later, L says to me, "Mom, you know how you said that I should just ignore you when you dance. . . to get you to stop?  Well, I've been trying, and it doesn't work."
It was such a lightning bolt to me.  I had given him bad advice (well, see qualification above).  Well, du-uh.  It turns out that I like to dance spastically as I work in the kitchen.  It wasn't just to provoke my poor child.

Since that moment, I have sincerely tried to stop dancing when he's around.


P.S. Surely he'll grow out of his aversion to my dancing?  With any luck this'll happen before the arthritis makes it impossible for me to get down with my salsa moves.  ha ha aha ha ha ha

1 comment:

  1. L sure is a bright guy! I am proud ... lol.

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