That's right, I've created a four-year-old, 42+ pound, snap happy monster. And this really, truly is all my fault. Let me 'splain.
Sometimes to get Logan's attention, or to try to get the point across that X needs to happen now, as in right now, I would snap my fingers. A typical exchange might go thusly:
Me: Logan, it's time for bed. Let's go brush your teeth.
Logan: No.
Me: Let's go now. *snap*
or
Me: Logan, what do you want for lunch?
Logan: ...
Me: *snap* Hey, Logan, what do you want for lunch?
Logan was fascinated with the finger snap, the simple application of pressure of the middle finger upon the thumb causing the middle finger to slam into the palm of the hand. He wanted to learn how do to it. At first he just tried to imitate, rubbing his first two fingers together. Then he asked how to do it, so I would show him how, first showing him with my hand and then putting his fingers in the right position and trying to explain so that a four-year-old would understand where the application of pressure should occur. After a week or two of showing him and him trying to get it on his own, one day we're sitting on the couch and he snapped his fingers.
I congratulated him on learning a new skill. That was a few days ago. Now, the boy is punctuating *snap* everything *snap* he says *snap* with a *snap*. He'll even be in bed snapping his fingers as I try to get him to go to sleep; the two of us in the dark, and his little fingers snapping away.
Needless to say, it's gotten old really quickly, and now I'm working on what so far seems to be the more difficult task of explaining to him that it's not necessary to snap his fingers about everything and that it's rude to snap his fingers in someone else's face. At least we haven't gotten any notes from his preschool teachers yet. And, it's made me seriously pause and consider before snapping my fingers when I'm trying to get his attention.
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5 comments:
I think we went through that, about the same age too. It never bothered me as much, so as soon as I stopped paying attention it went away.
Kids and their attention span ranging from gold fish to labrador retrivers. You gotta love that.
Oh, you've got better things than finger-snapping to look forward to. When I was about seven, I was at day camp and started channeling my mother at a camp counselor. I have a distinct memory of yelling at him, "You're treading on thin ice, Mister! I've had it right up to here with you". (Which was, of course accompanied by a hand gesture up around my forehead.)
Have fun!
Can't wait for that.
Another little gem: when my newphew was five or six he started a boys-only club on the playground, and to be part of the club you had to prove you were a boy by showing your equipment. My brother and sister-in-law saved the note that came home to show future girlfriends.
What? The note had photographic evidence?
No photo with the note, but they do have a picture of him in a diaper and tomb raider type getup from when he was three-ish
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