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Birthday Shame
Jul. 27th, 2006 08:49 amOn Sunday we went to my brother's house for his daughter's birthday, and something funny happened.
Sebastian has a teasing rivalry going on with my niece's brother William (who is my nephew, of course); they go back and forth at each other sometimes. This is very exciting for Sebastian, since his cousin is more than twice his age.
There were quite a few other kids there too, so there was lots of running around, lots of laughing and shouting, occasional tears, and general bedlam.
During the present-opening things reached a fever pitch; Sebastian was sitting nearby, and suddenly shouted "William, how would you like a punch in the face?".
The sudden, dramatatic silence that fell quickly gave way to a number of shocked gasps.
"Sebastian, I don't want to hear - " but before I could finish the standard parental admonishment Sebastian's face had crumpled, and he'd burst into a storm of sobs. He shrieked "Nobody LOOK at me!" and run to hide under the dining room table.
He stayed under there for a while, sobbing and begging not to be looked at whenever anyone came near. After a minute I crawled under there with him, not looking at him, and kept him company while he calmed down. Before he climbed back out and resumed the merriment I did talk to him about hitting and saying naughty things, but of course I don't know if it will stick. All I can do is keep trying, I suppose!
Sebastian has a teasing rivalry going on with my niece's brother William (who is my nephew, of course); they go back and forth at each other sometimes. This is very exciting for Sebastian, since his cousin is more than twice his age.
There were quite a few other kids there too, so there was lots of running around, lots of laughing and shouting, occasional tears, and general bedlam.
During the present-opening things reached a fever pitch; Sebastian was sitting nearby, and suddenly shouted "William, how would you like a punch in the face?".
The sudden, dramatatic silence that fell quickly gave way to a number of shocked gasps.
"Sebastian, I don't want to hear - " but before I could finish the standard parental admonishment Sebastian's face had crumpled, and he'd burst into a storm of sobs. He shrieked "Nobody LOOK at me!" and run to hide under the dining room table.
He stayed under there for a while, sobbing and begging not to be looked at whenever anyone came near. After a minute I crawled under there with him, not looking at him, and kept him company while he calmed down. Before he climbed back out and resumed the merriment I did talk to him about hitting and saying naughty things, but of course I don't know if it will stick. All I can do is keep trying, I suppose!
