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[Kids] are the best of times, the worst of times

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  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Aldo wrote: »
    honovere wrote: »
    How do you deal with relatives gifting you and your baby/kid lots of stuff you really don't want or can't use, even if you talked about it with them before, that your 3 month old in middle/northern Europe in winter doesn't need a Mediterranean summer coat for a 2 year old and we don't really care right now that you thought it looked cute and we also don't need 20 different plastic toys right now we live in a flat not a giant storage room.

    That is super inconsiderate of people, yet everyone seems to do it. @Mojo_Jojo is currently dealing with an oversized dollhouse and I am wondering what to do with the rocking horse (its a dino, actually) grandpa made, but my kid hasn't touched in over a year.

    We have tactically placed toys at family and donated some stuff to a local diner with the excuse that "he can play with it there." I think you just have to be ruthless and keep telling people what kind of gifts are actually appreciated.

    Yeah, just keep clearing it out as some people will never stop.

    Best you can do is try to direct their efforts to smaller things or getting tickets/taking child to places like zoos, museums, etc.

  • MNC DoverMNC Dover Full-time Voice Actor Kirkland, WARegistered User regular
    Is this how stupidity is created and spreads?

    Need a voice actor? Hire me at bengrayVO.com
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  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    Never attribute to stupidity that which is adequetly explained by "Internet troll" - Robert J. Hanlon

    Or at least I think that's how the saying goes.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Aldo wrote: »
    honovere wrote: »
    How do you deal with relatives gifting you and your baby/kid lots of stuff you really don't want or can't use, even if you talked about it with them before, that your 3 month old in middle/northern Europe in winter doesn't need a Mediterranean summer coat for a 2 year old and we don't really care right now that you thought it looked cute and we also don't need 20 different plastic toys right now we live in a flat not a giant storage room.

    That is super inconsiderate of people, yet everyone seems to do it. @Mojo_Jojo is currently dealing with an oversized dollhouse and I am wondering what to do with the rocking horse (its a dino, actually) grandpa made, but my kid hasn't touched in over a year.

    We have tactically placed toys at family and donated some stuff to a local diner with the excuse that "he can play with it there." I think you just have to be ruthless and keep telling people what kind of gifts are actually appreciated.

    Along these lines can someone please tell my wife that no we DON'T need another [insert large toy here] and I DON'T care that it is super cheap

    I've tried telling her, but she doesn't seem to hear me

    SyphonBlue on
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    PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    MNC Dover wrote: »
    Is this how stupidity is created and spreads?


    This is why Mumsnet is a blight on the world. I assume this can only have come from there.

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • SporkAndrewSporkAndrew Registered User, ClubPA regular
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Along these lines can someone please tell my wife that no we DON'T need another [insert large toy here] and I DON'T care that it is super cheap

    I've tried telling her, but she doesn't seem to hear me

    Same

    "But he neeeeeeds a stuffed walrus"
    "But it's giant. It's practically the size of his pillow"
    "But he neeeeeeeds it and Santa always brings him a stuffed animal"

    SQOAJ17l.jpg

    Sigh

    The one about the fucking space hairdresser and the cowboy. He's got a tinfoil pal and a pedal bin
  • MulysaSemproniusMulysaSempronius but also susie nyRegistered User regular
    My mil bought two sets of Christmas presents. The first set was nice, and we did a quick get together with her before we left to spend Christmas with my parents across the country.
    When we got back, she had gotten us more things, and it was like... We told her not to do that. But she just laughed and said she always liked getting new things as a kid. Yes, she grew up in a household with limited money, and got new things maybe once every couple of years. But my kids are spoiled, and do not need anything. More is just too much. Oof

    If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
  • EntriechEntriech ? ? ? ? ? Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    I've started instructing relatives to gift experiences instead of physical things, because even in our very nicely sized house, there's WAY too many toys.
    It's like, no, don't get her "blah", buy her tickets to go to the theatre, or the movies, or a museum or a zoo or something. Heck, take her instead of us going, and that's two gifts down!

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    Gotta be honest, though, that's an adorable walrus.

  • AldoAldo Hippo Hooray Registered User regular
    In a roundabout way... It sucks that toys are just so cheap these days. Like, a toy car that would have been amazing to any kid growing up 30-40 years ago, is now just another item you get delivered at your doorstep from any number of webshops. I mean, anyone who goes "I wish stuff was this cool when I was younger" needs to take a hot second to consider "but is it something that this child is going to appreciate?"

    Like with that fucking rocking dino: it's great, my dad made it from scratch with very limited tools, he drew up the designs himself, everything. He has put a lot of time into it, but it was all on a whim. There was no guarantee that Little King would be into it. Grandpa just made a dog-sized toy because he thought it was cool.

  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    edited January 2020
    I really woudl like that walrus if you're offering.

    I have an.. addiction to stuffed toys.


    Edit: i know you're not offering but.... a stuffed walrus! How cute is that!

    lonelyahava on
  • SmrtnikSmrtnik job boli zub Registered User regular
    It took me way longer than it should have of looking at it to realize it's upside down.

    steam_sig.png
  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    Meanwhile, Ellie came home yesterday "It was a good day!"

    and then at bedtime, "Daddy, It was a good day today! No more fighting!"

    Apparently they agreed between themselves that Thomas would clean up the play dough and Ellie would clean up the tools and there was no fighting!

  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    On the topic of toys, the amount of Chinese knockoff garbage in stores now is insane. Was it always like this? Like, half the stuff Noah got for his birthday was branded "Fun Toy Games" or similar and lasted roughly a day before it was broken.

    Just search anything in Walmart's toy section and it's 99% trash.

    Experiences are so much more meaningful. Likely cheaper for the purchaser, too. Would like you to get him another plastic thing that will be lost of broken before you can blink or give him something he remembers doing with his family?

    Or nothing. Seriously. Just show up and be part of my kid's life. That's why you were invited in the first place.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    my father buys Ellie toys and things.

    because he cannot be here in person as we live on the other side of the world, so he cannot enjoy the experiences with her, but he can watch her play with toys over skype (providing he ever answers the call...)

    My inlaws who do live here give her whatever free or ridiculously cheap shit they stumble across on their way while remembering they have a grandchild and even then, only around christmas/summer holidays and never her birthday.

    exhale


    anyways, dad also sends my mom down for 3 months of the year so Ellie can spend time with her grandmother, and that's worth more than the toys to me.

  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    Niko: Hey, you have something down there beginning with B!
    Me: Do you mean P for Pants?
    Niko: No, IN your pants! B for Bah-gina!
    Me: No it’s Vuh-vuh-vuh for VAH-gina
    Then he ran around going ‘VUH for Vagina! VUH for Vagina!’

  • mrpakumrpaku Registered User regular
    [Post Darkwing Duck shenanigans where Bushroot kidnaps a love interest]
    Me: Boys, if you ever have to kidnap and tie someone up to show them you like them, you don't really like them. Also, don't abduct people and hold them against their will
    Middle Guy: Oh, I change my mind then

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    mrpaku wrote: »
    [Post Darkwing Duck shenanigans where Bushroot kidnaps a love interest]
    Me: Boys, if you ever have to kidnap and tie someone up to show them you like them, you don't really like them. Also, don't abduct people and hold them against their will
    Middle Guy: Oh, I change my mind then

    *Makes notes furiously*

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • SporkAndrewSporkAndrew Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I really woudl like that walrus if you're offering.

    I have an.. addiction to stuffed toys.


    Edit: i know you're not offering but.... a stuffed walrus! How cute is that!

    It's a Jellycat Walrus. My vote for the octopus was overruled

    When friends have children we always get them a Bashful Bunny from there because they're extremely soft and, more importantly, washable

    The one about the fucking space hairdresser and the cowboy. He's got a tinfoil pal and a pedal bin
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    I really woudl like that walrus if you're offering.

    I have an.. addiction to stuffed toys.


    Edit: i know you're not offering but.... a stuffed walrus! How cute is that!

    It's a Jellycat Walrus. My vote for the octopus was overruled

    When friends have children we always get them a Bashful Bunny from there because they're extremely soft and, more importantly, washable

    Those are all nice looking studies. But they do all say hand wash only.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    For presents we usually give guidance of either none or small Legos. Most are usually ok with that.

  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    I also just told my 3 year old (wearing a dishcloth as a cape and blowing on a kazoo) that her mother would love to hear her kazoo song. It's 650am.

    Am I the bad guy?

  • AldoAldo Hippo Hooray Registered User regular
    schuss wrote: »
    I also just told my 3 year old (wearing a dishcloth as a cape and blowing on a kazoo) that her mother would love to hear her kazoo song. It's 650am.

    Am I the bad guy?

    Aw.

    Yeakinda

  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    Let's not forget the real villain who gave a 3-year-old a kazoo.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • sponospono Mining for Nose Diamonds Booger CoveRegistered User regular
    Fuckin goddamn flu

    This shit-ass flu medicine the doctor gave is supposed to lessen the symptoms and reduce the duration of the flu by 1-2 days

    While I don't doubt it'll do that, it also has the fun side effect of making the boy vomit every time he takes it

    Doesn't seem like it's worth the hassle

    640qocnq4ske.gif
  • MulysaSemproniusMulysaSempronius but also susie nyRegistered User regular
    We got an anti-nausea medicine with the tamiflu we needed last year. Considering her only flu symptoms were fever and throwing up, it worked out well.
    (Which we had to pay full-price for, since anti-nausea medicines aren't covered by our normal medical insurance, but by the special cancer care insurance that we haven't set up since none of us have needed to use it. But it wasn't that expensive)

    If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
  • sponospono Mining for Nose Diamonds Booger CoveRegistered User regular
    That's not a bad idea. Was it a liquid, or was it those little tabs you let dissolve on their tongue?

    640qocnq4ske.gif
  • SporkAndrewSporkAndrew Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Figgy wrote: »
    Those are all nice looking studies. But they do all say hand wash only.

    Yeah, they say that. Every single one of ours has been tied inside a pillowcase and washed at 30. A few hours hanging out on a radiator and they're back to normal

    The one about the fucking space hairdresser and the cowboy. He's got a tinfoil pal and a pedal bin
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    Welp...guess it's time to start toning down our language.

    Mallory: *walks into our room one morning* What the hell?! Who cleaned up this room?

    Wife: Dammit, one of the cats peed on the laundry again!
    Mallory: Where? I don't see any damn pee!

    Jack luckily has not picked up on curse words yet, but he DOES keep telling us to "eat my butt".

    LxX6eco.jpg
    PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
  • MulysaSemproniusMulysaSempronius but also susie nyRegistered User regular
    spono wrote: »
    That's not a bad idea. Was it a liquid, or was it those little tabs you let dissolve on their tongue?

    The tabs. I'm not sure she quite let them dissolve properly, but they worked well enough

    If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Welp...guess it's time to start toning down our language.

    Mallory: *walks into our room one morning* What the hell?! Who cleaned up this room?

    Wife: Dammit, one of the cats peed on the laundry again!
    Mallory: Where? I don't see any damn pee!

    Jack luckily has not picked up on curse words yet, but he DOES keep telling us to "eat my butt".

    We were at the Field Museum a few weekends back, waiting for Mom to return from the bathroom. A man walks past, says "FUDGE"* fairly loud them turns around back out. Assume he forgot wallet or something.

    Daughter says,"That's a bad word." Asking be how she knows it, she said it was Grandma. So far wife & I have kept it to crap and maybe a damnit, but I'm sure we'll slip up eventually.

    *It wasn't '"fudge".

  • KalnaurKalnaur I See Rain . . . Centralia, WARegistered User regular
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Welp...guess it's time to start toning down our language.

    Mallory: *walks into our room one morning* What the hell?! Who cleaned up this room?

    Wife: Dammit, one of the cats peed on the laundry again!
    Mallory: Where? I don't see any damn pee!

    Jack luckily has not picked up on curse words yet, but he DOES keep telling us to "eat my butt".

    We were at the Field Museum a few weekends back, waiting for Mom to return from the bathroom. A man walks past, says "FUDGE"* fairly loud them turns around back out. Assume he forgot wallet or something.

    Daughter says,"That's a bad word." Asking be how she knows it, she said it was Grandma. So far wife & I have kept it to crap and maybe a damnit, but I'm sure we'll slip up eventually.

    *It wasn't '"fudge".

    The first thing I thought of was the song "MineCraft is For Everyone" by Starbomb.

    I've mentioned before that Toby doesn't talk much. That's starting to change, but back when he'd basically not mirror anyone saying anything at all, there were a few (rather hilarious) bursts of language. Like when I died in a game and said "God dammit" and a few minutes later he was playing with blocks and his tower fell over and he mutter "got da'it" under his breath. Or the wife's usual which is "shit shit shit". He'd been told that he wasn't going outside right then, and we both heard him pacing behind the couch near the door and he muttered "sit sit sit".

    Not unlike his proclivity for opening things we didn't know he could open, he doesn't do it often, but he does do it when it would be technically proportional to the circumstances. I've not heard him let loose with anything in . . . almost a year?

    Speaking of speech, his clearest word he's learned basically flawlessly, or rather a phrase, is "Uh-oh". Being a 3 year old, his use of it is . . . helpful? At least it alerts us that something has gone wrong, as he's using it correctly. He's also finally saying hi and hello with moderate frequency (still no bye though). Though hi and hello and also hugs (said in a whisper) are said as aye, 'ello, and ugths (soft th) and it's adorable.

    The funniest and most adorable was that the wife was watching Star vs the Forces of Evil, and she was in the latter half of the series where the last part of the outro music sings, "she is a shining star". Well, he started singing along with the last two words pretty reliably so the wife would finish an episode and the song would play out and then from wherever he was in the living room we'd hear in a high, chirpy voice, "siininn' staaaaaahhh".

    It was the damned cutest thing.

    I make art things! deviantART: Kalnaur ::: Origin: Kalnaur ::: UPlay: Kalnaur
  • TaramoorTaramoor Storyteller Registered User regular
    Kalnaur wrote: »
    MichaelLC wrote: »
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Welp...guess it's time to start toning down our language.

    Mallory: *walks into our room one morning* What the hell?! Who cleaned up this room?

    Wife: Dammit, one of the cats peed on the laundry again!
    Mallory: Where? I don't see any damn pee!

    Jack luckily has not picked up on curse words yet, but he DOES keep telling us to "eat my butt".

    We were at the Field Museum a few weekends back, waiting for Mom to return from the bathroom. A man walks past, says "FUDGE"* fairly loud them turns around back out. Assume he forgot wallet or something.

    Daughter says,"That's a bad word." Asking be how she knows it, she said it was Grandma. So far wife & I have kept it to crap and maybe a damnit, but I'm sure we'll slip up eventually.

    *It wasn't '"fudge".

    Speaking of speech, his clearest word he's learned basically flawlessly, or rather a phrase, is "Uh-oh". Being a 3 year old, his use of it is . . . helpful? At least it alerts us that something has gone wrong, as he's using it correctly. He's also finally saying hi and hello with moderate frequency (still no bye though). Though hi and hello and also hugs (said in a whisper) are said as aye, 'ello, and ugths (soft th) and it's adorable.

    The funniest and most adorable was that the wife was watching Star vs the Forces of Evil, and she was in the latter half of the series where the last part of the outro music sings, "she is a shining star". Well, he started singing along with the last two words pretty reliably so the wife would finish an episode and the song would play out and then from wherever he was in the living room we'd hear in a high, chirpy voice, "siininn' staaaaaahhh".

    It was the damned cutest thing.

    None of the triplets are particularly verbal, but for the middle boy he still didn’t have any words at all at 28 months.

    Luckily, our oldest chose that month to want to watch Frozen every single day, and the middle boy started mumbling along to Let It Go by the fourth viewing.

    So, take what you can get, whatever it takes is what I would say.

  • SharpyVIISharpyVII Registered User regular
    Wife and son went to bed an hour before I had to leave for my night shift.

    So I did the dishes then sat down with a coffee in peace and quiet for an hour.

    Bliss.

  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    Figgy wrote: »
    Let's not forget the real villain who gave a 3-year-old a kazoo.

    Party favors. Some parents like to watch the world burn.

  • mrpakumrpaku Registered User regular
    edited January 2020
    Tiny Wonder is just shy of 20 months and the only words he leans into with a real confidence so far are "D'Ow!" (No), "Eh-Yeeeh! 8-) " (Yeah/Yes), AdaDaDada (Dad/Mom, shortened-lengthened for effect/mood), "Aw-poe nun-shrew" (In response to an "Oh-no"; your guess is as good as mine [WIFE EDIT: "It's "Oh-no-what'll we do", how do you , *teach* him that and not *hear* that?"]), and "Towel" for "Towel", which probably speaks for itself by now. Everything else is different grunts, verbally. He is great with the few simple sign language cues we've practiced, and will constantly keeps you updated other very direct ways like kisses on the forehead on the striking you in the face

    He has been very communicative since his birth, and we hold out every hope he'll get into language when he finally chooses to, but I wish he would start sooner than my other two did- it doesn't help that they often try to speak for him, especially since they're usually right, and you can tell he leans into it

    mrpaku on
  • MNC DoverMNC Dover Full-time Voice Actor Kirkland, WARegistered User regular
    You ever had one of those days where you're in such a hurry, as you pull out of the parking lot, your daughter appears next to you in the front seat to ask you a question because you forgot to strap her in.

    I had one of those days.

    Need a voice actor? Hire me at bengrayVO.com
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  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Hey, better than seeing her sitting in the cart corral.

  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    MNC Dover wrote: »
    You ever had one of those days where you're in such a hurry, as you pull out of the parking lot, your daughter appears next to you in the front seat to ask you a question because you forgot to strap her in.

    I had one of those days.

    Mallory screams bloody murder if you so much as put the car into drive and she isn't fully buckled in yet.

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    PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
  • SmrtnikSmrtnik job boli zub Registered User regular
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    MNC Dover wrote: »
    You ever had one of those days where you're in such a hurry, as you pull out of the parking lot, your daughter appears next to you in the front seat to ask you a question because you forgot to strap her in.

    I had one of those days.

    Mallory screams bloody murder if you so much as put the car into drive and she isn't fully buckled in yet.

    My daughter does this too, followed by mad giggling once i do strap her in and "you forgot!" said in the same tone one night say "you are an idiot" or "who told you you should have children?".

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