Elderese Part II
4 CommentsThe Scene: Mommy’s bathroom just after I got out the shower
I hear someone running down the hall, open and slam the door of my room, and, just as I predicted, coming towards the bathroom. I put my foot to the base of the door so whoever it was couldn’t just barge in.
The Elder: (wiggles the door handle) Um, Excuse Me…
Me: (quiet)
The Elder: (knocks on the door gently) Excuse me…
Me: Yes?
The Elder: Can I have my glasses, please?
Me: (spotting his glasses on my counter top) Why sure!
I open the door, hand him his glasses, and he loyally says “thanks” as he hollars to The AP, “I found them!!”
So what’s the big deal?
- He observed proper social etiquette when approaching a closed door (well, once he realized it was “locked”)
- The volume of his voice was at a normal level and not at 90 decibels.
- He used polite words without being prompted (remember I said nothing to him), and immediately said thanks in response to my giving him what he wanted.
- His syntax was perfect the first time it came out of his mouth! I didn’t have to correct him and he didn’t have to correct himself!
- His sentence was spoken with a “typical” conversation flow and inflection.
Wow! Preschool is amazing. I am glad that he gets to go to a transition class for him to practice consistency in these social skills, but I wonder how well he would do if I did send him straight to Kindergarten. You know how kids behave much better in a structured environment as opposed to at home. Not that home is chaotic, but…oh, wait,…it is. Never mind.
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The Scene: In the car running errands.
Act I: In the Neighborhood
The Elder: Hey, it the recycle truck!
The Younger: No! It’s Trash Truck..
The Elder: No, the trash truck is blue and it’s big and it’s little. The recycle truck is green and it’s only big.
The Younger: i…i…i…it’s recycle? (he is still stuttering on occasion but it is not as frequent)
The Elder: You’re right. Good job.
Our Trash service has a regular Trash Truck (big) as like the “hub” of the neighborhood, and then smaller satellite pick-up trucks that serve as dump trucks buzzing around picking up trash and then usually they meet up at the Mother Truck and empty their bed in our cul-de-sac in front of our house and The Kiddos love to watch this every Friday.
Act II: At the Traffic Light
The Elder: Are we going to the bank?
Me: Yes.
The Elder: I think you’re going the wrong way.
Me: Really?
The Elder: Yes, I think you need to turn right.
Me: I am turning right.
The Elder: Oohhh, OK.
Not sure if he realizes yet that there are different turn lanes at lights.
The Elder: Mommy, I need to go to the store.
Me: We are going to the bank.
The Elder: (smiling and shaking his head as if to say, ’silly mommy’) No…the bank is not for buying. The bank is for delivery.
I was impressed that he got the connection. Well, I did tell him that we had to go to the bank and then go make a delivery as two separate errands, but his statement was very true.
Act III: At the Bank waiting in line at the Drive-Thru
The Younger: I wanna go to bank…get lollipop.
The Elder: We are at the bank.
The Younger: No! its store.
The Elder: No it’s the bank. See? (I assume he is pointing at the building)
The Younger: No! Not bank!
The Elder: Mommy, he says this is a store!
What’s the big deal?
- He asked me to intervene instead of taking it into his own hands (and/or feet) and attacking his brother across the car seats. I’m always telling him that when he feels frustrated to call me so I can help him handle it.
- Not sure he was even frustrated since his call for intervention was again a simple statement and not a 90 decibel announcement with his face on the verge of massive implosion.
Me: It is not a store, it is the bank.
The Elder: (to The Younger) See? When you are inside the bank, you stand in line and you buy a lollipop. When you are outside, you drive your car to this thing and then you…buy a lollipop.
That was an expensive lollipop…
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Ummm, OUR son said and did all that? WOW!
Isn’t it amazing all the little things you notice that would probably fly right by you in a typical world? BTW, we just finished a year of preK instead of doing kindergarten last year and we have been so happy with our decision – it can really make all the difference in my opinion.
Smiling with joy for you! Yes, it is so easy to miss those things in a “typical” world. Aren’t you glad we get to celebrate all the advances our kids make?
Have a great holiday weekend!
I love this format of your posts!!! Very entertaining (and enlightening)!!