Comments on: The longest day – part 1 http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/ One man's struggle in a foreign land Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:14:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Heather http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-19159 Heather Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:57:23 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-19159 wash, rinse and repeat. for 15 years. Why did we start this whole parenting thing again? wash, rinse and repeat. for 15 years. Why did we start this whole parenting thing again?

]]> By: Silverback http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18231 Silverback Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:14:14 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18231 Being childless (and wifeless but that's not important right now), I can only imagine the terror of being home alone with a baby. Right now I'm taking a weeks leave from sunny Florida and am up in Michigan with amongst others, a 21 month old. Yes he's been as cute as a button so far but I know if I'm ever left alone in a room with him, I'll win the race to see who cries first ! At least the sight of a grown man liquefying before him should stun him into silence. That's my plan anyway. Being childless (and wifeless but that’s not important right now), I can only imagine the terror of being home alone with a baby. Right now I’m taking a weeks leave from sunny Florida and am up in Michigan with amongst others, a 21 month old.

Yes he’s been as cute as a button so far but I know if I’m ever left alone in a room with him, I’ll win the race to see who cries first ! At least the sight of a grown man liquefying before him should stun him into silence. That’s my plan anyway.

]]> By: Joe Pidgeon http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18163 Joe Pidgeon Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:37:42 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18163 Hi Dylan, Very funny and brought back memories. My tip is to turn on a hairdryer - the white noise totally stops them crying for some weird reason and if you can handle the noise of the hairdryer.... Hope you are well and oh by the way, we call them nappies over here Joe Hi Dylan,
Very funny and brought back memories. My tip is to turn on a hairdryer – the white noise totally stops them crying for some weird reason and if you can handle the noise of the hairdryer….
Hope you are well and oh by the way, we call them nappies over here
Joe

]]> By: Mike http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18120 Mike Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:56:16 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18120 There were many laugh out loud passages but there was only one milk through nose bit: "1034 Michael Jackson is a hit with the kids. Not the first time that sentence has been used, clearly." There were many laugh out loud passages but there was only one milk through nose bit: “1034 Michael Jackson is a hit with the kids. Not the first time that sentence has been used, clearly.”

]]> By: lisa http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18114 lisa Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:45:51 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18114 That is a case for spare milk in the fridge if I ever heard one. That is a case for spare milk in the fridge if I ever heard one.

]]> By: Brooklyn http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18108 Brooklyn Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:44:57 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18108 Dylan: Sorry to pile on, but with pre-teens and teens, after they harangue you, you can leave them to their own devices (nowadays, that is not a metaphor, they have laptops, cellphones, ipods). But wait till your child is a toddler: you will vacillate between trying to entertain her in a constructive way, and when you run out of ideas or energy, feel guilty about anaesthetizing her with video entertainment. You think the Jurassic Park raptors were scary dinasours? They had nothing on Barney to an adult after more than 15 minutes. Now you can try to calm your child by rocking her while you enjoy grown-up entertainment(I originally wrote "adult entertainment" but realized that under one interpretation of the phrase, this would be seen as creepy, if not downright sickening. ) Even if you think she'll be scarred by being exposed to "Assault on Precinct 13" when she is weeks old, you can listen to NPR without being told how boring it is to young ears. Dylan:

Sorry to pile on, but with pre-teens and teens, after they harangue you, you can leave them to their own devices (nowadays, that is not a metaphor, they have laptops, cellphones, ipods).

But wait till your child is a toddler: you will vacillate between trying to entertain her in a constructive way, and when you run out of ideas or energy, feel guilty about anaesthetizing her with video entertainment. You think the Jurassic Park raptors were scary dinasours? They had nothing on Barney to an adult after more than 15 minutes.

Now you can try to calm your child by rocking her while you enjoy grown-up entertainment(I originally wrote “adult entertainment” but realized that under one interpretation of the phrase, this would be seen as creepy, if not downright sickening. ) Even if you think she’ll be scarred by being exposed to “Assault on Precinct 13″ when she is weeks old, you can listen to NPR without being told how boring it is to young ears.

]]> By: Dylan http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18106 Dylan Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:13:02 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18106 Ian/Sarah - you forget that on top of the ten week old, I have for two and a half years been handling the daily machinations of two children who are now 12 and 15. There isn't an insult/ploy/bit of faulty logic that I haven't yet heard, I can tell you! And Jinksy, I am aiming to use one of those sling things, but even being in the same room as me and the sling causes paroxysms for The Little One at the moment... Ian/Sarah – you forget that on top of the ten week old, I have for two and a half years been handling the daily machinations of two children who are now 12 and 15. There isn’t an insult/ploy/bit of faulty logic that I haven’t yet heard, I can tell you!

And Jinksy, I am aiming to use one of those sling things, but even being in the same room as me and the sling causes paroxysms for The Little One at the moment…

]]> By: Sarah Playle http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18105 Sarah Playle Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:07 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18105 Would take the screaming any day....I got told "Mum, you're not very good!" today....My daughter is 2 1/2!!!! Enjoy the screaming as it is all downhill from here, or actually a bloody hard walk uphill...Whichever way, it doesn't get any easier than a 10week old. Enjoy.xxxx Would take the screaming any day….I got told “Mum, you’re not very good!” today….My daughter is 2 1/2!!!! Enjoy the screaming as it is all downhill from here, or actually a bloody hard walk uphill…Whichever way, it doesn’t get any easier than a 10week old.
Enjoy.xxxx

]]> By: jinksy http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18100 jinksy Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:57:24 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18100 Pardon me while I smile...Maybe the answer is one of those baby sling contraptions that holds baby safely in front of you, while giving your arms freedom enough to make, and drink, coffee! Can't wait for part two.... Pardon me while I smile…Maybe the answer is one of those baby sling contraptions that holds baby safely in front of you, while giving your arms freedom enough to make, and drink, coffee! Can’t wait for part two….

]]> By: punctuation http://www.britoutofwater.com/2009/12/16/the-longest-day-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-18092 punctuation Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:28:17 +0000 http://www.britoutofwater.com/?p=691#comment-18092 "Accidentally put on REO Speedwagon". You're fooling nobody but yourself... ;-) Now you know why most fathers have bald patches by the time they reach middle-age. Personally, right now is the easy bit, it's downhill from the age of 11 because that's when they start to believe they can put forward, ad nauseum, convincing arguments to show you the error of your ways when denying their request for money/later curfew/money/booze/parties at unsuitable locations/money/another day off school/money. Mind you, the stage she's at now is just a process of necessary strengthening for the vocal chords for use in later life in a last ditch attempt to highlight your tyranny as she retreats, door slammingly, to her room to post aggrieved updates on Facebook along the lines of "my Mom and Dad are SO unfair - it's my body and I can tattoo it if I want to". “Accidentally put on REO Speedwagon”. You’re fooling nobody but yourself… ;-)

Now you know why most fathers have bald patches by the time they reach middle-age. Personally, right now is the easy bit, it’s downhill from the age of 11 because that’s when they start to believe they can put forward, ad nauseum, convincing arguments to show you the error of your ways when denying their request for money/later curfew/money/booze/parties at unsuitable locations/money/another day off school/money.

Mind you, the stage she’s at now is just a process of necessary strengthening for the vocal chords for use in later life in a last ditch attempt to highlight your tyranny as she retreats, door slammingly, to her room to post aggrieved updates on Facebook along the lines of “my Mom and Dad are SO unfair – it’s my body and I can tattoo it if I want to”.

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