The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in our Georgia schools being closed. We live in an area that has an ample supply of kids. The surrounding kids continue to increase in number as many of the adults near us are breeders. There are quite a few farms and ranches in our rural mix and I suppose the adults are planning ahead regarding labor.
Our neighbors aren’t on top of us, but close enough to hear school-free children playing. Those nearby neighbors and the pile of kids that are grandchildren provide all sorts of insight into parenting. These whirling dirvishes, the children not the parents (although the applicability is situation dependent in association with the parents), range in age from 4 to 9. Here are a few of the vocalizations from adults trying to ride herd:
Stop it you’re going to get hurt
Stop running in the house
Put that down, it might bite you
Go get that dog
Stop hitting your brother
Leave your sister alone
Get down out of that tree before you fall
Yes, you look like a princess
Stop that or you can go outside and play
That cat is going to scratch the fire out of you
Stop that or get back inside this house
Where’s your brother
Give that back to your sister
Quit poking her in the eye
Get your fingers out of his face
Stop playing in that fire
Yes, that’s a tick – go get me the tweezers
Get that thing out of this house (your guess is as good as mine)
No hitting
No biting
Don’t pick your nose
Don’t wipe boogers on your brother
Did you cut your hair?
Where are your clothes?
Don’t stand in that chair
Take that out of your mouth
Give him back his ball
Put that stick down
Don’t throw that at him anymore
Why are you crying?
No shooting in the face (Nerf gun)
Leave those chickens alone
Don’t pick at your food –eat it
Stop bothering the dog
Granddaddy, Mom is making me do school work
Who said you could do that?
That’s not a toy
What happened to your shirt?
Where are your shoes?
Well, clean that up
Move back from the swing before it hits you (disregarding the warning, a baby tooth lost during the following mishap)
Go wash your hands
Granddaddy, do you want to race?
Lets put a band aid on that
Honey, I think your arm is broken (it was)
And so it goes.