They tell me David should not come over because he does some pretty 'bad' stuff. They do not get the irony of telling David to "Stop that this instant!' on the page where he is picking his nose... while they are picking their own noses.
Every single thing that David does is an action that the boys have somehow incorporated into our daily lives... climbing for cookies (or in Owen's case, the giant bag of M&Ms my Dad poorly stashes in their room), tracking in mud after a session in the backyard, running naked down the sidewalk (this one really gets the to the boys because though they are down with the naked, they know it does not happen in the front yard. God forbid...)
I take a perverse satisfaction while reading it in the sheer amount of NOs I am allowed to say without feeling guilty. Because there are a lot of NOs involved in the raising of twin boys that are three. Like, double the usual. And that is okay.
What I really love is that the author of the book re-wrote this book as an adult. The first edition was made by him when he was a little boy and had the same basic premise. He heard NO a lot. But I love that what stuck with him when he viewed the little booklet from his youth was not just the NOs but the love that his Mama had for him in the end.
You should find it. It is a great book. And believe me, if you have boys you will get it. And if you want them, well, don't say you haven't been warned. They really are little heathens.
And, totally unrelated, but I love this shot of my Mama. She is the coolest. Also, she finds really great library books.
Love you, Mama.
6 comments:
Heathens, yes!!
I read a very inspiring post by Sarah and the Goon Squad about saying yes more to her kids. I've tried that but with two boys... some days I'd be insane to say yes to everything they want.
We have a David book too. It's the one where he goes to school and hears NO all day.
At first, I was nervous to read it to the kids. I thought the book would give them ideas of naughty ways to get attention at school, but I was wrong. Instead, like your boys, they pointed out all the bad behavior and explained to me why it was bad.
On using NO sparingly, this is something I'm big on too. Ever since the kids were really small, I've saved NO for big things and use alternative phrases ("I don't think so." Or "Not now.") more often.
I think NO illicits a strong, defensive response and somehow the other phrases inspire a little more collaboration. (I also try to say "Will you..." instead of just bark commands like, "Do this or that.")
It seems to be working pretty well.
Love the pics. The kiddie pool one is awful and wonderful all at once.
"No, David!" has been a favorite in our house since my first daughter was born. Like you, I take great satisfaction in the reading -- it's literally the book that I ham up the most. So cathartic.
Also, the pictures are awesome!
So is that shot of your mother, by the way. She's like a divine goddess in that one.
That sounds hilarious. Some days my uterus just plain aches, other days I'm grateful that I don't have kids yet. LOL I find that I deal with enough adult heathens these days ;)
We love David too! Must be a boy thing. He's got a whole series, I love them because it's good for Robby to see his mischievousness validated in some way.
we love this book too! Maia picks it after particularly challenging days :)
Post a Comment