What's your pet peeve in RL?

[Nandito]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I think once it gets to that point, their opinion is invalid and you get to decide. If they complain afterward, that's a free smack-to-the-face!

[Aksannyi]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I have kids, but you know something? I don't let my kids stand on the balcony and hold high-pitched shrieking contests with other little brats in the neighborhood.

[Ketaru]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

There are lots of things you shouldn't do involving kids and balconies. For example:

[Aksannyi]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

Lol. This one little girl yesterday, I scared the crap out of her. She was probably about 9 years old or so, and she was standing on this landing about 10 feet from my apartment door and I opened the door, gave her one of those "stern adult looks" and said, "Problem?" She didn't say anything, but when I went back into my apartment, she hushed her friends whenever they started screaming.

See? It's not hard, parents.

[Ketaru]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I don't have that kind of presence with kids. I saw these kids sledding down their lawn after a particularly bad snowstorm (meaning the roads were still pretty slick) and they were sledding in the direction of the road. I yelled to them that what they were doing was dangerous. They took one look at me and just went back to what they were doing.

Of course...I suppose my mindset wasn't helped by the fact I got in a fender bender that morning because I couldn't stop my car.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

Lol. This one little girl yesterday, I scared the crap out of her. She was probably about 9 years old or so, and she was standing on this landing about 10 feet from my apartment door and I opened the door, gave her one of those "stern adult looks" and said, "Problem?" She didn't say anything, but when I went back into my apartment, she hushed her friends whenever they started screaming.

See? It's not hard, parents.

Ah "The Look"! Mothers all across the world know how to implement "The Look" for maximum success! lol

[Aksannyi]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

Yeah, I thought about carrying the gun with me but I found that I didn't actually need it to scare them. Which is probably a good thing, because then I might have had some cops knocking on my door.

I hate when it rains here (like today) because all they do is run up and down the stairs since they're the only covered parts of the buildings. But I can't fault their parents for wanting them to gtfo of the house.

It's kind of gonna suck when I start working on third shift but I think I'll be able to work out a sleep schedule that doesn't involve putting twelve pillows over my head to drown the sound of these kids out.

---------- Post added at 06:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 PM ----------

Oh, and for some reason, the Look doesn't work on my own kids. But that could be because I can't resist letting them do whatever they want since I see them so infrequently.

[Taskmage]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I think I know "The Look" you guys are talking about.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

It's kind of gonna suck when I start working on third shift but I think I'll be able to work out a sleep schedule that doesn't involve putting twelve pillows over my head to drown the sound of these kids out.

Foam ear plugs, black mini blinds for the window, and a sleep mask. I prefer the sleep mask with the cooling gel pack inside. I'm a pretty light sleeper but when I do that I sleep pretty darn well considering the walls are thin and my son is playing FPS's in the next room.

---------- Post added at 05:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 PM ----------

I think I know "The Look" you guys are talking about.

Yep that pony has it down!

[Aksannyi]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

[Satori]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

My friends all have kids and they think I'm pretty good with them.
I'm usually top of the list for babysitting duties. The thing is those that know me know I'm foul mouthed and probably a bad influence. But when it comes to kids I'm pretty good with them. Forget supernanny with her naughty step and time outs. I'm more like cartman's mum when she gets the dog whisperer guy in.

I'm a firm but fair type of person but it seems to be really effective with them. The kids seem to like me though they ask to visit me and get excited when I visit or when they know they are coming to see me.
I think the best thing is that I don't try to baby things down for them. I just picture them like crazy midgets. I find treating them a little like adults seems to be a good thing in regards to respect both ways.

One day I was making coffee for one of my friends when she came to pick her boy up after work I could hear her saying " No charlie, Naughty boy" etc When I came in I saw him about to draw on my tv. I only had to point and say no for him to stop. He really is a little $h!t for his parents but for me he gets just one warning and it's done and dusted.
I'm quite impressed that I control the kids better than the parents lol

[Aksannyi]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I'm more like cartman's mum when she gets the dog whisperer guy in.

An awesome episode.

[NightShayde]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

Aaaaah - the "Mom Look." I've apparently got it down. I can make grown men whimper with that look. It also works on (most) little brats at the supermarket.

Aks - I second TGM's suggestion about foam earplugs and a sleep mask. I'm also a light sleeper & that combo works for me in hotel rooms & on cruise ships (and at home). You may have to try a few different types of earplugs before you find the ones that are ideal for you. Same with masks. I prefer ones that are soft & fuzzy rather than anything with a plastic exterior. I have some gel-filled masks, but those are more for getting rid of headaches (quite hit or miss) - and I know I couldn't sleep in those 'cause I'd start to sweat & it would be icky.

My minor peeve for the day is people giving ambiguous instructions. Luckily, the person who gave me those instructions was able to clarify easily when asked to do so.

[Aksannyi]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I think since I'll be getting home about 6 AM I can be in bed by about 7 or 8 and sleep about six hours (or so) and that will be, for the most part, while the kids are at school.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: What's your pet peeve in RL?

I'm quite impressed that I control the kids better than the parents lol

Well that boils down to the parents. When you have the kids many more hours than a relative or babysitter does, its very tiring. So many times you'll say "Leave that alone! If I have to tell you again I'm going to come over there and..." Then they do it again but you don't get up to follow through with your threat. Parents get that defeatist attitude that it doesn't do any good so why bother. They want more immediate results and thats not how it works. So they don't follow through, the kids realize that they don't follow through, and then they decide to blow them off when they tell them to stop doing something.

Since you don't spend as much time with them, you are more devoted to following through and they know that. So when you say something, they respect that and listen. Another aspect is the way you treat them. Like you said you respect them enough to treat them like mini adults. I'm assuming that means that you'll actually talk to them about something when there is a disagreement. Where a parent says "Because I said so!", you'll actually tell them why they shouldn't do what they are doing. Because you respect them and take times to explain things to them, they will in return respect you. Sometimes parents don't understand that kids may not realize they did something wrong because 10 seconds after they did it they forget about it. It's just not that important to them. So it is important to explain to them, "Billy, you see this vase right here. You were touching it weren't you? Well you should not touch this vase because it breaks very easily. If it broke then I would be sad and angry. So please do not touch that anymore, ok?" Something I always told my kids, and its stuck with them to this day, is "I may not like some of the things that you say or do but I will always love you." It's important for a child to know that even though you are mad at them for something they did, you will always love them regardless.

I have the same issue with my eldest grandson. My daughter bitches about him to high hell. She says that when he is angry, he will purposely run into the wall to bruise himself or he will scratch his face. I rarely have issues with him and he lived with me for over a year and a half. I treat them with respect and explain to them why they shouldn't do things. I also listen to their questions and try to answer them. They are playing with their firehouse and he asks me "Why do firemen use axes?" I don't blow him off, I take the time to tell him why and answer any other questions he has. This is how kids learn and when parents blow them off, "Thats nice, go play.", when they have questions they are losing a great opportunity to instill their morals and help their children learn.