Comments on: Disposable Pets http://www.cathykeir.co.uk/blog/disposable-pets/ Welcome to the home of Beta Mum - who lacks the lifestyle and perfectionist tendencies of Alpha Mummy, but rubs along pretty well most of the time Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:57:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Penny in Amsterdam http://www.cathykeir.co.uk/blog/disposable-pets/#comment-6 Penny in Amsterdam Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:20:19 +0000 http://www.cathykeir.co.uk/blog/disposable-pets/#comment-6 Don't be so hard on them. It may not be anything so awful as a disposable attitude. When Hannah says “Fine. Her parents are going to get her a new hamster.”, she is probably only doing the same thing as your son when he ventures “He doesn’t know how to play Dodge Ball.” as the reason they're no longer friends. They're saying the thing which they have learnt (so quickly, bless their little hearts) is socially acceptable, rather than the thing which is in their heart. Your son cracks first and says what's really in his heart ("“And he tore up my work. I had to start again..."), little girls are tougher but what your children are doing is reflecting that they have already learned to be British (well, Anglo-Saxon), i.e. come what may to grit their teeth and say the thing that is expected and accepted. And they've got many many many years before they have to decide whether or not to allow themselves to cry at your funeral. Don’t be so hard on them. It may not be anything so awful as a disposable attitude. When Hannah says “Fine. Her parents are going to get her a new hamster.”, she is probably only doing the same thing as your son when he ventures “He doesn’t know how to play Dodge Ball.” as the reason they’re no longer friends. They’re saying the thing which they have learnt (so quickly, bless their little hearts) is socially acceptable, rather than the thing which is in their heart. Your son cracks first and says what’s really in his heart (”“And he tore up my work. I had to start again…”), little girls are tougher but what your children are doing is reflecting that they have already learned to be British (well, Anglo-Saxon), i.e. come what may to grit their teeth and say the thing that is expected and accepted.

And they’ve got many many many years before they have to decide whether or not to allow themselves to cry at your funeral.

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