Claire here.
We had some difficulties with the child. I think the idea of being left alone while the parents went out to have fun did not sit well. And, while I did not reveal the true reason we were going out and leaving the child alone, I discussed the two resistant strategies we encountered with my colleagues.
The first move was attempting to not be home alone. The child arranged to go to a friend's house; but this was not a neighborhood friend the child could walk to, no, it was friend too far away to walk and also not one ever visited before! This was brought up first thing in the morning on the Wednesday while we were still in bed and had not finished our coffee.
John, and everyone at work, felt that this was an unreasonable request by the child. If it had been any other reason we were going out, I don't think I would have even had a twinge. So, the child was told, in no uncertain terms on Wednesday evening, that home was the place to be on Friday night.
The on the Friday, just after school lets out, I receive a call:
"Mom are you in the house?"
"No, I just got to work, my meeting finished at 2:00. I was only working from home in the morning."
"Oh, I thought you were home. I can't get in, I forgot my keys."
"Well, then you are going to have to call your grandparents, walk to their house, borrow the spare keys and walk back to get in. I can't come home, you know I am going out tonight."
"Oh, OK, bye."
As soon as the connection is gone, I let out an inarticulate noise of frustration and receive knowing looks from my colleagues with older children. One colleague with an adult child mooted that she thought children do not necessarily do these things consciously. They try to make you come home subconsciously out of a sense of entitlement to your attention, even if they will just spend the evening shut in their room ignoring you!
Oh well, at least it didn't work, but the child did wind up with a Domino's pizza, Diet Coke and Ben and Jerry's from an excess of parental guilt.
We had some difficulties with the child. I think the idea of being left alone while the parents went out to have fun did not sit well. And, while I did not reveal the true reason we were going out and leaving the child alone, I discussed the two resistant strategies we encountered with my colleagues.
The first move was attempting to not be home alone. The child arranged to go to a friend's house; but this was not a neighborhood friend the child could walk to, no, it was friend too far away to walk and also not one ever visited before! This was brought up first thing in the morning on the Wednesday while we were still in bed and had not finished our coffee.
John, and everyone at work, felt that this was an unreasonable request by the child. If it had been any other reason we were going out, I don't think I would have even had a twinge. So, the child was told, in no uncertain terms on Wednesday evening, that home was the place to be on Friday night.
The on the Friday, just after school lets out, I receive a call:
"Mom are you in the house?"
"No, I just got to work, my meeting finished at 2:00. I was only working from home in the morning."
"Oh, I thought you were home. I can't get in, I forgot my keys."
"Well, then you are going to have to call your grandparents, walk to their house, borrow the spare keys and walk back to get in. I can't come home, you know I am going out tonight."
"Oh, OK, bye."
As soon as the connection is gone, I let out an inarticulate noise of frustration and receive knowing looks from my colleagues with older children. One colleague with an adult child mooted that she thought children do not necessarily do these things consciously. They try to make you come home subconsciously out of a sense of entitlement to your attention, even if they will just spend the evening shut in their room ignoring you!
Oh well, at least it didn't work, but the child did wind up with a Domino's pizza, Diet Coke and Ben and Jerry's from an excess of parental guilt.
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