#210
Me: Do you know they have “princess” Lego?
Rockstar: I know. I hate that. We are never going to get that.
Me: How did you know they have “princess” Lego?
Rockstar: Newspaper I saw in school.
Me: The baby might want “princess” Lego.
Rockstar: I’ll teach her not to like it.
Me: What if she does, are you going to end up choosing everything she should like or not like? What about her friends?
Rockstar: I also choose your friends.
Me: No you don’t. You complain about (my friends whose kids he doesn’t like) but I see them anyway.
Rockstar: Why??
Me: Because I don’t consider “Her son is irr-a-tating” an acceptable reason why I can’t be friends with the mum. If all my friends’ sons had your attitude I might not have any friends left.
Rockstar: WHY can’t you have more friends. And I hate (friend’s son).
Me: Yeah, well, (friend’s son) hates you too.
Rockstar: Yeah! We hate each other! We’re never going to be friends. You should have other friends. Like (his two best friends’ at school)’s mums. <authoritatively, nodding encouragingly> They’re quite nice.
(When I could respond, I said, “I know they’re nice, but they also live very far away…” (which is actually true). We’ve agreed to playdate when our boys start at different catchment area Primary schools… )
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So Rockstar fairly often gets annoyed at our part time driver… And then…
Rockstar: Mum. Did you know Uncle said “Hi” to you when you came in to the car just now?
Me: Hmm? Oh sorry I didn’t mean to be rude, I didn’t hear it.
Few mins later…
Rockstar: Mum. Did you know Uncle said “Hi” to you when you came in to the car just now?
Me: Yes, but how weird is it for me to respond to that now, I didn’t hear just now. If you heard it why didn’t you respond?
Rockstar: You said not to talk to him.
Me: I said not to fight with him.
Rockstar: I can’t talk to him without fighting with him.
Me: Ok fine don’t talk to him.
Rockstar: That’s what I said.
This conversation was in the presence of said driver. I found out recently that our “pat” (busybody) old local driver would “shoot” at Rockstar with his hands as imaginary guns, when he picks him up from school (btw he is the only adult around Rockstar who does that.) Then when Rockstar froths at the mouth, our driver would ask our (new and blur) helper to tell me how ill-behaved my son was that day.
That was when I stopped reminding Rockstar to wish “Uncle” good afternoon or say “thank you” each time we entered and exited the car. I still do it myself, but Rockstar is never encouraged to say anything at all to this guy. “Extenuating circumstances,” I explained – because “Uncle” doesn’t know how to lay off (and is aware enough of my displeasure to only do this when I’m not around – I know if I say anything, he’ll just deny it), don’t encourage him at all.
And so the Rockstar was forbidden to engage. Rockstar then recently came up with his own brainwave:
Rockstar: <politely> Mummy, did you see that? Uncle ran an orange light.
Me: Hmm? Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.
Rockstar: He just did it. The (traffic) light wasn’t green yet, and he drove anyway. I’ll show you when he does it again…….
Now, why didn’t I think of that?
Not even eyelash-batting...
(Seriously - WHY?!)
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Honestly, I do not know why some adults want to do that sort of action – “shoot” using fingers at children. How annoying. Think he does that to his own children when they were young?
Rockstar is smart not to talk to him – I wouldn’t be able to stand him either.
It would seem he thinks this is actually very cool since he still strives to do it when I’m not looking (he must think I have no taste!)… The worst is once Rockstar got so mad he started crying (and Rockstar doesn’t cry much generally)… When I asked what happened he repeatedly claimed “I haven’t even begun to complain how badly-behaved your son is – do you know he pinches me” – that was my first red flag because Rockstar doesn’t know how to pinch, having never given nor received pinches. Our new helper confirmed Rockstar had not pinched AND i even separately to “tested” whether Rockstar really didn’t know how to and
The old man is really a batu api – lie in order to get you to scold Rockstar. I hope Rockstar would be able to “tahan” him until you “goreng sotong” him.
Yeah can’t wait to goreng.. Tho he can probably find another part time easily – Rockstar’s school has no parking (space n land can b really tight cos expensive here) n school bus routes r sometimes very long…
I think they very gossipy old locals do annoying things like that cos they want attention or to feel important… Not all are like that but we do encounter some – when we went furniture shopping Rockstar was quietly watching a big tank of beautiful goldfish in the shop when this auntie started with “so cute so cute” and then “AIYAAAA he’s feeding the fish AHHHH!!” which caused the guy serving us to jump n run over to the tank while Kings n I both yelled at Rockstar as a reflex, to stop it. Rockstar gave us a reproachful look.
Then I said “I don’t see any fish food” and the auntie said “Got, in the cupboard.” Never mind that Rockstar doesn’t go into strange cupboards, not even at his grandparents’ places, I was furious that this gossipy old auntie had us yelling at Rockstar n was laughing, so I refused to let go n kept asking “WHERE is my son feeding your fish!??” until she finally admitted “Aiya, I say onlyyy” and then I said to Kings in front of them “I don’t want to buy anything from people who think it’s very funny to make us yell at our kid for nothing.”
Some people have very stupid way of playing with kids
Of course the baby will want the Princess lego – she’s a princess by blood!
Good for you to stand up for Rockstar and tell the old woman off.
Thanks.. Really hate when ppl do this, esp older generation. Thot they r supposed to be better role models, esp since by virtue of their age alone they r supposed to command our respect n courtesy. Seems like sometimes they abuse it. (Sorry bad day – idiot driver again)