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Mar. 19th, 2010 12:05 amIt's the usual argument in the supermarket. Guppy's been trying to avoid aisle 6, because every time there is the same cry. But this time they really needed beans...
"MEEEEEE!" Alex stares at him beseechingly, holding out the tin of NeeNaws Spaghetti Hoops.
"No." Guppy says firmly, taking the tin off him and putting it back. "I bought them for you before and you didn't eat them. We can't afford to waste food."
Ten seconds later, Alex grabs another tin.
"MEEEEEE!"
"No." Guppy puts the tin back.
Alex starts to cry in frustration. It's so hard when you don't have the words to explain. He doesn't care about the spaghetti inside the tin, he just wants the tin. He wants to roll it back and forth on the floor and watch the little NeeNaw pictures go around and around. None of which he can explain to Daddy, nor could he explain when the first tin got opened and put in the bin.
However, he's also made the connection that he never gets what he wants by making a loud fuss. So he waits until Daddy isn't looking, then picks up the tin and puts it under his shirt.
"Come on Alex." Guppy calls back, glancing to check he is following and glad the boy stopped making the loud sobs. He can't give in; that only reinforces the behaviour. He's just in time to see a store security guard grab Alex by the arm.
"Don't do that!" he moves quickly over. "He...bites." Grimace. Alex has already bitten the man and is now screaming his head off, the incriminating tin sitting by his feet.
"He's shoplifting!" the security guard says. "I suppose you taught him to do that."
"Alexander, you must not take things from shops." Guppy says, getting down on Alex's level and making a stern face. "They must be paid for. You can't have this tin."
To the security guard, he adds. "Of course not, he's just a toddler. The concept of shoplifting is far beyond him. I'm sorry he bit you but you shouldn't have grabbed him."
He gives the guard the tin and carries the kicking, screaming toddler out of the shop. He wonders whether there will be a time when he needs to carry baby number two like this at the same time.
He puts Alex down in the car seat and waits for him to calm down. He puts a CD on in the car to see if that helps, which it does.
"It's okay, I know he scared you." he says, starting the engine.
"Yeh."
"But you must not take things without paying for them. Remember the episode of the NeeNaws where Timmy sees the shoplifter and calls the police? You don't want to get done like Bobby the Burglar, do you?"
"No"
"Now we'll say no more about it. Do you want fish fingers or chicken in sauce for dinner?"
"...Tickin."
"Okay, we'll have chicken." Guppy smiles slightly. It's nice that Alex is getting to the stage where you can almost have a proper conversation with him. He tries a harder one.
"What did you do at nursery today?"
There is a pause, but Guppy gives him time to think about it, as he steers into the street they live on.
"Buh."
"What was that?"
"Buh is for bus bee and bunny."
"Oh, that's right, way to go!"
"Buh is for bus bee and bunny."
"What other words start with a b?" Guppy recognises the sentence as an echo of something Alex must have heard someone say, and wonders if he has grasped the concept.
"...Bar!"
Guppy applauds. Then grimaces as the sound of sirens start behind him. He pulls over. Alex, thinking he's going to be arrested, starts crying again. Guppy winds down the window and looks up at the policeman standing next to his car.
"I've stopped you for driving without due care and attention." the policeman says. "Please do not applaud while you're driving."
Guppy promises solumnly not to do it again, and gets let off.
"MEEEEEE!" Alex stares at him beseechingly, holding out the tin of NeeNaws Spaghetti Hoops.
"No." Guppy says firmly, taking the tin off him and putting it back. "I bought them for you before and you didn't eat them. We can't afford to waste food."
Ten seconds later, Alex grabs another tin.
"MEEEEEE!"
"No." Guppy puts the tin back.
Alex starts to cry in frustration. It's so hard when you don't have the words to explain. He doesn't care about the spaghetti inside the tin, he just wants the tin. He wants to roll it back and forth on the floor and watch the little NeeNaw pictures go around and around. None of which he can explain to Daddy, nor could he explain when the first tin got opened and put in the bin.
However, he's also made the connection that he never gets what he wants by making a loud fuss. So he waits until Daddy isn't looking, then picks up the tin and puts it under his shirt.
"Come on Alex." Guppy calls back, glancing to check he is following and glad the boy stopped making the loud sobs. He can't give in; that only reinforces the behaviour. He's just in time to see a store security guard grab Alex by the arm.
"Don't do that!" he moves quickly over. "He...bites." Grimace. Alex has already bitten the man and is now screaming his head off, the incriminating tin sitting by his feet.
"He's shoplifting!" the security guard says. "I suppose you taught him to do that."
"Alexander, you must not take things from shops." Guppy says, getting down on Alex's level and making a stern face. "They must be paid for. You can't have this tin."
To the security guard, he adds. "Of course not, he's just a toddler. The concept of shoplifting is far beyond him. I'm sorry he bit you but you shouldn't have grabbed him."
He gives the guard the tin and carries the kicking, screaming toddler out of the shop. He wonders whether there will be a time when he needs to carry baby number two like this at the same time.
He puts Alex down in the car seat and waits for him to calm down. He puts a CD on in the car to see if that helps, which it does.
"It's okay, I know he scared you." he says, starting the engine.
"Yeh."
"But you must not take things without paying for them. Remember the episode of the NeeNaws where Timmy sees the shoplifter and calls the police? You don't want to get done like Bobby the Burglar, do you?"
"No"
"Now we'll say no more about it. Do you want fish fingers or chicken in sauce for dinner?"
"...Tickin."
"Okay, we'll have chicken." Guppy smiles slightly. It's nice that Alex is getting to the stage where you can almost have a proper conversation with him. He tries a harder one.
"What did you do at nursery today?"
There is a pause, but Guppy gives him time to think about it, as he steers into the street they live on.
"Buh."
"What was that?"
"Buh is for bus bee and bunny."
"Oh, that's right, way to go!"
"Buh is for bus bee and bunny."
"What other words start with a b?" Guppy recognises the sentence as an echo of something Alex must have heard someone say, and wonders if he has grasped the concept.
"...Bar!"
Guppy applauds. Then grimaces as the sound of sirens start behind him. He pulls over. Alex, thinking he's going to be arrested, starts crying again. Guppy winds down the window and looks up at the policeman standing next to his car.
"I've stopped you for driving without due care and attention." the policeman says. "Please do not applaud while you're driving."
Guppy promises solumnly not to do it again, and gets let off.
