Checklist Accomplished: Launching My Daughter Into the World

[DaveC426913]

Sorry, for just a second, I thought that this post:

They obviously ran out of toilet paper at her friend's house...

was actually in response to this one:

Nice! What medium?

 

[jackmell]

My mom tells me that the best way to determine if you're a good parent is to observe how your children parent their own children.

Soooo...I hopefully have many years before I experience that!

Yeah, I don't blame you. She's 18 right? "Do not get married too young ok?" I'd tell mine. I think wait till you're 27 or so.

However isn't it a little unfair to judge a parent's ability to raise children to how well their children parent their children? I can imagine really crummy parents, but children who survived the ordeal and grew in maturity and wisdom and grew into good parents. Likewise, I'm sure it's not unreasonable to expect some parents, who did marvelous jobs raising their children, but the children were not so good at it.

But then what is the best way you think Jack? I'm not sure at this point but I suspect living the life of a good parent, both mom and dad, throughout their child's life, I think is the best way to be a parent.

 

[BobG]

My mom tells me that the best way to determine if you're a good parent is to observe how your children parent their own children.

However isn't it a little unfair to judge a parent's ability to raise children to how well their children parent their children?

Not at all, especially if you're a mother-in-law.

If your son's wife doesn't raise her kids the same way the son's mother did, it's because the son's wife was raised either by ingnorant redneck hillbillies or by uppity upper class snobs. It's not her fault she's a lousy mother - she just needs the expert meddling of the son's mother to help her be a better mother.

Forunately, mother-in-laws don't apply the same criteria to their daughter's husband. Knowing their own daughter, they just feel grateful she was actually able to find someone to put up with her. Or was that just my ex-mother-in-law that felt that way.

 

[Astronuc]

Not at all, especially if you're a mother-in-law.

If your son's wife doesn't raise her kids the same way the son's mother did, it's because the son's wife was raised either by ingnorant redneck hillbillies or by uppity upper class snobs. It's not her fault she's a lousy mother - she just needs the expert meddling of the son's mother to help her be a better mother.

Forunately, mother-in-laws don't apply the same criteria to their daughter's husband. Knowing their own daughter, they just feel grateful she was actually able to find someone to put up with her. Or was that just my ex-mother-in-law that felt that way.

I am grateful to find anyone's daughter who would put up with me.

 

[BobG]

babysit her kids so she can go out and party - check
feed her kids - check
Keep her kids clean - check.
Read to her kids - check.
Play with her kids - check.
Teach her kids how to swim, ride a bike, do a summersault - check.
Explain the wonders of the world to her kids - check.
...

cronxeh forgot the most important item of all:

Teaching her kids how to do that thing where they make an "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" sound. Then they place their finger horizontally across their mouth and move it up and down to turn the "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" into a "aabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwa" sound.

My grandson is making pretty progress with this. First, he would make the "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" sound and I'd have to move my finger up and down to add the "aaaaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwa". Now he's reached the point where he tries to do it on his own. Except he uses his whole hand instead of just his finger, so the sound's degraded just a little bit.

Still, he has the main idea and just needs practice. I try to inspire him by showing him how I do it. I can do the "William Tell Overture" doing that, whatever it's called.

Which leads me to the one problem I have with this. Terminology isn't terribly important right now, but eventually he's going to learn how to talk and he'll ask me what we're doing.

I don't have a clue! What is that called, anyway?!

 

[rootX]

Teaching whatever might be challenging ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y5AlxRruOU

 

[jackmell]

Good, I'd like to see it .

Your thread inspired me to clean it up and post it. Changed the title. Try and not think about that other title when you read it. Kinda' messes it up otherwise. How about askin' Dad to take a look at it also for me please.

http://theoneman.newsvine.com/_news/2010/09/24/5145937-still-greater-agonies

 

[D H]

I just finished a checklist, too:

Take some time off work for a vacation - check (finally).
Leave your son in grad school behind - check.
Receive a one word text message from your son whilst in the middle of nowhere - check.
Message says "accident" - check.
Son drives my car (manual transmission) because his is a wreck - check.
Son ruins clutch on my car - check.

 

[Borek]

Son drives my car (manual transmission) because his is a wreck - check.
Son ruins clutch on my car - check.

Your car is a wreck - check.

 

[BobG]

I just finished a checklist, too:

Receive a one word text message from your son whilst in the middle of nowhere - check.
Message says "accident" - check.
Son drives my car (manual transmission) because his is a wreck - check.
Son ruins clutch on my car - check.

I'm so glad my son can't drive my manual transmission Jeep.

He can't drive any car unless it has a breathalyzer installed.

 

[physics girl phd]

Teaching her kids how to do that thing where they make an "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" sound. Then they place their finger horizontally across their mouth and move it up and down to turn the "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" into a "aabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwa" sound.

My grandson is making pretty progress with this. First, he would make the "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" sound and I'd have to move my finger up and down to add the "aaaaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwaaabwa". Now he's reached the point where he tries to do it on his own. Except he uses his whole hand instead of just his finger, so the sound's degraded just a little bit.

Which leads me to the one problem I have with this. Terminology isn't terribly important right now, but eventually he's going to learn how to talk and he'll ask me what we're doing.

I don't have a clue! What is that called, anyway?!

After a very long duration (but short distance) car trip last weekend (stuck in traffic because of the upcoming football game and Dad's poor choice of streets), Little E (at 14 months) now does that finger thing on me if I go "aaaaah". We haven't gotten to the William Tell Overture though. I don't think Dad and the rest of the gang were pleased with her progress towards this, but it beat having a crying baby in the back seat after she'd finished up her baggie of Cheerios.

Personally, overall we're still stuck at the first three on the list... though I'll say she often teaches me the wonderment of the world. Who knew keys, empty boxes, etc. were so cool... let alone the [damn] cats?

 

[BobG]

After a very long duration (but short distance) car trip last weekend (stuck in traffic because of the upcoming football game and Dad's poor choice of streets), Little E (at 14 months) now does that finger thing on me if I go "aaaaah". We haven't gotten to the William Tell Overture though. I don't think Dad and the rest of the gang were pleased with her progress towards this, but it beat having a crying baby in the back seat after she'd finished up her baggie of Cheerios.

Personally, overall we're still stuck at the first three on the list... though I'll say she often teaches me the wonderment of the world. Who knew keys, empty boxes, etc. were so cool... let alone the [damn] cats?

Yet, you ignored the most important part of my post!

What the heck is that thing called?! How can something so many people do not have a name?

 

[BobG]

Teaching whatever might be challenging ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y5AlxRruOU

But she's thinking, "You stupid people! Can't I just once go to a restaraunt and color the menu like a normal kid?!"