And boys -- let's watch the swearing.

Mayor ,'Chosen'


Natter 73: Chuck Norris only wishes he could Natter  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Rick - Jul 25, 2014 5:43:51 am PDT #2807 of 30000

I think that there is a danger with kids of assuming that the things they say when they are calm have a greater depth or fidelity or persistence than the things they say when they are upset.

We may like to think that our dispassionate self is more "true" of ourselves, but that doesn't mean it is true of kids. They are always trying ideas on for size, and calm or not, they just don't have the stable view of self and others that adults do.

For instance, one problem that crops up frequently in family therapy is that a skilled therapist can structure the situation so that the dialog between parents and kids will seem more mature and forthright than has ever been true before. It's a breakthrough! The parents are thrilled. For the parents it seems that everything discussed is now solved or dealt with, but for kids, no matter the degree to which they throw themselves into it at the time, it doesn't necessarily stay with them. They are highly responsive to the collaborative environment that was created, but it doesn't mean that they have the self-consistency and self-regulation to make it stick.

Parents find this very frustrating and interpret it as a betrayal. But it's really just that we overgeneralize from the more mature seeming behavior in the session to the assumption that the words have the same meaning that they would in a more mature human. Nah. Still a kid in there.


meara - Jul 25, 2014 6:42:46 am PDT #2808 of 30000

That's really interesting Rick!

How old are your twins now, by the way?


Jesse - Jul 25, 2014 6:43:27 am PDT #2809 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Aw, kids! They look like people, but are actually mostly animals.


Theodosia - Jul 25, 2014 7:03:40 am PDT #2810 of 30000
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"

What Rick Said x10.


Rick - Jul 25, 2014 7:09:54 am PDT #2811 of 30000

The twins are four now, meara. Kindergarten starts in one year and one week! Amazing.


Kat - Jul 25, 2014 7:21:54 am PDT #2812 of 30000
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo

Aw, kids! They look like people, but are actually mostly animals.

This made me laugh like crazy.


Jesse - Jul 25, 2014 7:38:53 am PDT #2813 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

It's true, though. They don't know how to act or what is actually going on a lot of the time. Up until like 8 years old.(NB: I am not a scientist.)

ION, can I make meringue with just one egg white?


Theodosia - Jul 25, 2014 7:49:36 am PDT #2814 of 30000
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"

Jesse, a really small one?


Jesse - Jul 25, 2014 8:00:54 am PDT #2815 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Very small! I wonder if it will be enough volume to even whip? I guess I can just try and see what happens.


meara - Jul 25, 2014 8:15:02 am PDT #2816 of 30000

Definitely depends on how much meringue you need, Jesse! But you can make SOME....egg whites whip up to a lot of volume.

The twins are four now, meara. Kindergarten starts in one year and one week! Amazing.

Wow! Seems like they were just born. Time flies around here.