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by BrandoElFollito 1734 days ago
I was mostly cold neutral in these situations, as if it was something normal. I usually casually chatted with the hairdresser (or MD, or whoever was about to do harm to my kids :)) and I could se that the child was closely observing.

If I behaved like it was normal and not a big deal, they would usually relax and there was no fuss.

It still happens, 14 and 17 years on. Of course they are independent, proud, not-like-their-parents and whatnot, but in new situations they like to glance at how we are handling the situation :)

I would also (with the young version of the kids) do something horrible, Calvin and Hobbes style - getting super exited by something, they would get excited as well, the excitement is at the top, tension is unbearable and then the big thing is that we are going to bed. I did that twice I think, I am ashamed of myself.
2 comments
nkrisc 1734 days ago
> I would also (with the young version of the kids) do something horrible, Calvin and Hobbes style - getting super exited by something, they would get excited as well, the excitement is at the top, tension is unbearable and then the big thing is that we are going to bed. I did that twice I think, I am ashamed of myself.

Not sure if you’re joking or not, but I do that all the time with my son to make the mundane exciting again and frame things in a new way. It’s not a let down if you can still deliver by making the ordinary thing interesting somehow.

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BrandoElFollito 1734 days ago
I found the strip I had in mind :) https://www.reddit.com/r/calvinandhobbes/comments/htipjs/oh_...
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InitialLastName 1734 days ago
> I was mostly cold neutral in these situations, as if it was something normal. I usually casually chatted with the hairdresser (or MD, or whoever was about to do harm to my kids :)) and I could se that the child was closely observing.

> If I behaved like it was normal and not a big deal, they would usually relax and there was no fuss.

Humans are social animals, and the young ones learn their attitude about new situations from the leader of their pack. You can see the same behavior with dogs: meeting a new person, they'll often mirror the attitude their owner has to the new person (obviously with less fidelity than children).

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