bobquasit: (Sebastian Riding)
bobquasit ([personal profile] bobquasit) wrote2006-07-27 08:49 am
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Birthday Shame

On 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!

[identity profile] greenday-gd.livejournal.com 2006-07-27 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been there before with my nephew. It was something similar to that.

One day we were in Walmart and Kindrick wouldn't stop looking (and pulling) at the shoes. We came to one box of flip-flops and he jerked them out in the floor (after I had told him to stop). I said, "Kindrick, what did I tell you?!" Instead of crying he wrapped one arm around my leg and was hiding his face. He was about to cry though. I started cracking up and I picked him up and he wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me on the neck and said, "Kindie sorry. I sorry Neiki." He hid his face until I took him to his mom. XD I couldn't help but laugh.

[identity profile] aurora-lamour.livejournal.com 2006-07-27 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I know as a child I shamed myself more than any adult did. If a child is sensitive to the feelings of the adults around him and wants to please as it sounds like yours is, you might not need to say much for the lesson to stick.