My wife's Spanish niece and her totally adorable daughter have just ended a five day visit, it's the first time we've met the little girl and she is the most adorable, sweetest natured child we have met. Both parents are charming people but their daughter who is a few weeks away from her second birthday has difficulty walking and cannot talk at all (not deaf). Our own granddaughter visits regularly from Wales so we have tons of her discarded toys in the spare room, we dug them out, cleaned them and left her to play with them to her hearts content.
To be continued...!
She was delighted with them and when they were leaving Mum thanked us profusely for tolerating the toys strewn around the house, saying how surprised she was for allowing our house to be turned into a tip. My wife was astounded and said that it's just a part of the joys of parenthood. And then tactfully explained that that was probably the cause of the child's slightly retarded behaviour patterns. I one hundred per cent agree; and the niece promised to rectify this forthwith and buy loads of toys on returning home.
Have we been unreasonable? Your views are requested, I am convinced that play with toys are an essential part of a child's development.
And then tactfully explained that that was probably the cause of the child's slightly retarded behaviour patterns.
Not entirely sure I understand the question.
....what was probably the cause of the child's slightly retarded behaviour patterns in your opinion? That they weren't usually allowed to play with toys?
They don't give their child toys? Blimey.
That may not have caused anything, development issues may be something else entirely, but even so, it's still not nice!
It could certainly have a effect on the child's development. Children express so much through playing with toys. I think it's where they learn communication, apart from the basic Mummy and Daddy form.
The niece's own mother favoured the younger brother much more than her daughter - it was a deeply dysfunctional family, for many, many reasons.
All being well if our analysis was correct we should see some improvement in the not too distant future....
We can but hope...!
I so hope it works, for the young girls sake. Her world is a lonely place by the sound of things.
I'm no expert DkOT, but I believe these things often come out in the wash.
The Minglet was a fairly late walker and talker. As was I, apparently. (According to my parents: "but once you started talking, you didn't stop".) The Minglet, while being an average tracky-bottom wearing teen in most other respects, is now thriving at school particularly in the sciences and languages. He just did a German mock GCSE listening paper and scored 7.5 (somewhere between an A and B in old money). Aged 13!
If the child is two years old then she probably hasn’t had the full baby and toddler group, nursery etc that most other children have. She’s been in lockdown most of her life.
I imagine she’ll catch up pretty fast once she has more inputs into her life.
I don't think 'tactfully' and 'slightly retarded' sit particularly comfortably in the same sentence.
And then tactfully explained that that was probably the cause of the child's slightly retarded behaviour patterns.
I wish I'd heard that.
Come on. Its just words. We all know what he meant.
DKoT: I'm guessing the more appropriate lingo would be with reference to development. Social care professionals talk about 'milestones' (walking, talking etc.). Sounds like your great-neice may be later than some, but you mention charm and good nature. That stuff goes a long way and is at least as important.
Actually no. I'm perhaps over sensitive due to my son's disability, but 'slightly retarded behaviour' is not a 'tactful' way to describe young children.
OK, I get that Tadge.
I'm just saying that DKoT using the wrong words doesn't make him the spawn of Satan.
If the child is two years old then she probably hasn’t had the full baby and toddler group, nursery etc that most other children have. She’s been in lockdown most of her life.
Good point.
I've got a Spanish Stroll earworm, off Mink DeVille for some reason.