Tuesday 30 November 2010

Little bear calls his daddy's bluff

OH knows I am blogging this and has asked me to be clear. He would never hurt a hair on little bear's head and doesn't even threaten to unless in an obviously playful way. I am the most physical of the disciplinarian's in this house as I have tapped the back of little bear's hand when he was refusing to take his fingers away from a plug and when he pulled evil cat's tail. Both times were designed to shock and not hurt, and both times were completely ineffectual as he just giggled. Darling father is always threatening little bear with a smacked bottom but he never laid a finger on me and I am confident that little bear is safe from all but tickles. OH does shout at little bear sometimes, but crumbles as soon as little bear is upset. Right...

We had tidied little bear's room while he was out at nursery. We told him to expect a surprise. 'Is it pink?' 'No.' 'Why not?' Well that put us in our place.

So we are getting ready for bed and little bear is having a lot of fun and refusing to allow OH to get him into his pyjamas, giggling and generally being nearly four. Then he stood next to OH and demanded medicine. For emphasis he pounded his fist on OH's knee. OH was obviously not hurt but told little bear not hit him, or 'I'll turn you upside down and bounce you.' Little bear couldn't stop giggling. He pounded on OH's knee again. 'Now, daddy!' OH looked at me in despair as the threat had been chosen to be lighthearted and not taken seriously. 'Now, daddy,' little bear repeated and thumped OH imperiously. 'Okay,' OH said, baffled. 'Ready...' 'Steady, Go!' little bear shouted and giggled manically as OH held him upside down and jiggled him up and down.

We are going to have to pick our words very carefully.

4 comments:

Ian said...

Oh fantastic! I don't know many little boys who wouldn't want to be turned upside down and bounced though.

DF used to threaten me and the other brother with smacked bottoms, but I don't remember that ever happening!

Darling Uncle has told me the 'Is it pink?' story a couple of times. I'd say he was tickled pink by it! It is now my all purpose answer to anyone saying they've got me something lol.

I still can't work out what to get LB for Christmas and his birthday. I may have to go to John Lewis for inspiration. I'm torn between Duplo or a dragon that has a taste for castles ...

Hard up Hester said...

When my children were small I used to chase them upstairs gnashing my teeth & claiming to be the Bum Biter monster, heaven knows what would be made of this nowadays!

Wannabe Sybil said...

Hester - half the stuff I heard as a kid is so politically incorrect now that I would be lynched if I looked like I was even thinking about it! I believe, like Nanny Ogg, that childhood should have some pointless terror in it, which is why we have a dragon under the front steps and a troll under the bridge near darling uncle. It's probably illegal but it makes life a lot more fun for little bear.

Ian - to the best of my knowledge darling father never laid a finger on any of his children. He might shout, but he never swore at us even - and I know I tested his patience. Little bear is completely oblivious to the 'smacked bottom' threats. He is confidently ruling the roost! WS x

Ian said...

Little Bear has Darling Father (and Darling Uncle) firmly wrapped around his little finger! :D