At times my big boy has obsessions with certain things. It isn't to the extreme of which kids who have Aspergers can get, infact I almost feel left out when discussing such things with the other Aspie Parents at social groups as really I cannot tell what my son will be through his obsessions (whereas one has a son obsessed with atoms, the other with everything to do with trains...my son has an obsession with running up and down making motorbike sounds at times...but I don't think he will become a motorbike in future years ;) ) whereas other parents have their childrens careers all mapped out before their NAPLAN results are even analyised ;) .
No, my son is pretty fickle about such things, he will go through phases where the only book that his eyes will devour is Diary of a Wimpy Kid (onto reading 893875983749837 at the moment!) or he will live and breath lego for a while but really he is pretty easy going.
Or so I thought...
That was until I asked him to wear long pants to school. Or on the weekend...or at any time really.
Long pants?
You would think I asked him to blow his legs up daily, thus is the reaction to the request!
"LONG PANTS? OH COME ON! THIS IS THE WORST DAY EVER!!! MY LIFE SUCKS!!!"
(K.....15 years from now!)
"Why do I have to wear long pants? I went on the weather App and it is going to be sunny and only a little bit of rain. My friends are still wearing shorts? If it rains we are inside anyway. I hate wearing long pants. Those pants are too...(choose appropriate one for the second in time he is trying to convince me..) old, long, short, have a hole in the knee, are homemade and everyone can tell!"
It goes on and on and on and on and on and on and......
I'm usually standing at the garage door, looking at the time and thinking about how many times I can actually be late to work before I'm looking at unemployment, when I scream, "OK THEN! WEAR THE SHORTS! JUST GET IN THE CAR!" .
The little shite smirks! I kid you not!
But the other day I said something I will very soon regret! (oh who am I kidding 4 days in and I already am very very seriously regretting it!) I said to him, "Winter starts in a few days, when it starts you will have to wear long pants EVERY SINGLE DAY!"
This morning he didn't protest too much because I didn't give him time. I practically got him up and yanked the pjs off, put the pants and uniform on and carried him to the car. Although he did still manage to say, "Oh WHAT? PANTS! Oh COME ON!". When I told him the outdoor excursion today made them a necessity he even protested at having to attend it! Seriously?
If you think the complaints are kept for just the mornings when he is dressing then you are mistaken.
On the way home in the car tonight I got to listen to him tell me that his legs felt like they were on fire (as he was pulling the pants up to knee height) and that pants suck and there is no logical reason why shorts cannot be worn all throughout the year!
At bed time the negotiations had already begun about tomorrows pants vs shorts battle.
IT IS GOING TO BE A VERRRRRRY LONG WINTER!
Eeek! Compromise with long socks? That's an old school look I'm sure he could rock out lols!
ReplyDeleteI wonder though, if it's part of a "being almost 9" (I am constantly reminded that she's not 8 anymore, she really is almost 9!) We have similar battles, maybe not as epic, but there have been mornings where she has stood out in the cold in her t-shirt and skirt to prove to us that she doesn't think it's cold outside at all. And we thought the battle of the wills was something that happened when they were 3 ~sigh~
But seriously, long shorts with long socks! Try that one out ;)