(no subject)

[mamadeb]

We've become friends with a younger couple in our synagogue. Sort of. He's in his thirties and while not a Fan, definitely has a fannish mind. He reads Pratchett and comics and can talk movies and gets (and makes) the bad jokes. He also reads Anthony, but tastes are tastes, you know?

She's...very sweet. And not stupid. And a wonderful cook. But. All the books were his. All the movies were his. All the games were his. We played Fluxx this afternoon at their house, and she...left to take care of the baby, and let her husband finish the game. It was his first time playing Fluxx, too. (Fluxx, for those who don't know, is a card game where the rules change as you play it. It's lots of fun.) And - she didn't get the jokes.

I remember having a conversation with her when they came to us for a Shabbos lunch. And she was confused when I said I didn't wear make-up because I was too lazy to do that. And I'm not sure why.

Most of my friends, both RL and here, are fannish and/or very bright. I can do more than talk about recipes.

And she isn't stupid. But I can't connect with her at all.

Comments

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

Watch Kayla have tantrum. Watch mommy ignore it until it's over. Watch tantrum end *really* fast

I do this with Julian, but now that he's approaching 2, it works less and less. He can scream louder and longer with no reason than he used to be able to. Ah well, at least when he's screaming I know he's breathing.

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, with me it's more along the lines of, "Watch Brianna have a tantrum. Watch Mommy smack her leg and tell her to stop it, because it isn't going to work, and she knows it. Watch tantrum end *really* fast." By the time they're approaching 2, they've long given up on the tantrum approach, because the older and more canny they get, the less "smack" and the more "spank" they get, and the less a tantrum sounds like a good idea to them. Besides which, it just plain never works, and doesn't even let them vent off some steam, so they finally give up on it.

Mind you, I'll let them yell or cry all they want, if they need to vent...even to the point of taking them out of a public place and letting them do so, if they have a legitimate problem and they need to cry. That's totally separate. Any mommy can tell the difference between frustrated crying and a *tantrum*. ^_^

I never could do the 'wait it out' approach, because I have extremely strong-willed children. (Gee, surprised, anyone?) They *are* willing to push and see just HOW LONG Mommy and/or Daddy's patience will hold out, and whether or not if they keep it up five or ten minutes more, if they might not get their way this time. So no, waiting out a tantrum just is not an acceptable solution.