Beating a child

After Ex Sis in Law and I two days ago looked after the her twin boy grandchildren, my just on four year old great nephews, for about five hours, I've become a firm believer in 'spare the rod, spoil the child'. 

Ex Sis in Law parked in my spare space but Nephew's wife called me about parking? FFS, didn't you work this out before you came. They could have done a drop off and gone on to guest Government House parking. I suggested some all day paid public parking about 300 metres away, and that's what they did. I tried to tell myself that guest parking is not my problem, but I was already stressed, adding to that, there was some furniture to be delivered to them here, adding to that, they had my apartment number wrong and a neighbour on my floor let them in, added to that the delivery apartment number was wrong, with a timeline of 7am to 7pm. I had to visit my neighbour to tell him what to do if a delivery person called him

With their own toys, it took me time for me to realise they had taken Phyllis' toy bus assembly partly apart. Kosov entered the scene and remarked, I don't know where the assembly instruction are. I stopped the bus disassembly but they continued to just 'play' with pieces, 'putting in back together'. Fine, kids will be kids. 

Jass' natural curiosity soon passed and she opened my bedroom wardrobe door and took refuge there. Twin L is quite loving. Twin R is more distant and thoughtful. 

After Fire Fighting Nephew and his wife went off to Government House for him to receive his award, we took the boys on the tram to the Arts Centre, to change to a number 1 tram to Albert Park Beach. We found somewhere for lunch, and then walked to the sand park, a kids' playground on the beach edge. L disappeared while Ex Sis in Law was dealing with work matters on her phone. It is a secure park, but I felt the need to follow L. He was on a rotating platform, standing in the middle. We needed to return to the others but when I asked him to get off, he refused and defiantly crossed his arms and stared me down. Such insolence from a nearly four year old towards his great uncle. Eventually I turned my back on him, knowing the area was secure, and found a comfortable seat to look out to sea, where I saw a long distance swimmer's head bobbing past and a woman throwing a stick into the water for her dog to fetch. Mysteriously was a Spirit of Tasmania ferry sitting at Station Pier.

Ex Sis in Law drifted down to us with boy R in tow. We went back to the other end where they played with with a water flow feature. A man was clearly checking risk assessment at the park, shaking play equipment to test the soundness.

L kept putting his sandy shoes on the tram seat on the way home, with me telling him that I would chop his feet off, was ineffectual. 

Once back home, on the way them being subdued by a very packed tram home, L went off the edge. Even Nanna, whose grandchildren know if she says no, she means it, could not control him. It ended with him lying on the floor screaming and banging his fists. His twin brother looked on with  benign expression.

This is the same as what one of the now nine year old cafe latte twins once did at the same age, and just what now 18 year old Jo did at that same age. 

I say, bring back smacking badly behaving children, to shock them into obedience and be fearful of physical punishment.

Eventually they were all gone and I had a mental breakdown. "Kosov, see that bottle of Scotch? That will be empty by the morning". "No Onndrewww. I will hug you and all will be better".  

Later, a message to Nephew's wife.

Low level stress: "Dear Uncle Andrew. Favour to ask. If you have time next week, would you be able to pick up a flat pack at Ikea for us?" "While I am busy doing old retired person things, no problem. Old people like to find reasons to go out each day, a sense of purpose. It's even more exciting to go out in my new motor car to collect a package. Phyllis and Kosov like going to Victoria Gardens. We will have lunch there, but not Swedish meatballs. They can carry the flat pack." Low hanging fruit, and you would have saved the delivery fee. You should have just asked.

Nephew with his wife and then nephew with his mum on a very special day.