According to Hofmann: Play, rinse and repeat and repeat and repeat无毛视频�
I once read on a fortune cookie that the best way to learn something is to do it over and over again, and then I read it again to make sure I read it right the first few times. That无毛视频檚 why I无毛视频檓 well trained in the fields of not locking my keys in the car anymore, not putting metal in the microwave anymore and playing with kids.
My experience goes back to when I was in my teens, and my aunts, uncles and my older cousins saw their offspring gravitate toward me because children have always seen me as a big, old, disgusting version of themselves. So, I was trusted enough to babysit for them on the condition that I wouldn无毛视频檛 use the microwave.
Anyway, I thought my experience with children and kitchen fires would stop there, but I was wrong as I met my future stepdaughter, Emma, when she was 3 years old and then my brother and his wife brought my nephew, Ryker, and niece, Nora, into the world.
With all my experience, I noticed kids do have the same strange styles of play, which is basically if they like something, they want done over and over and over and 40 more times more after that.
The most recent example was a weekend trip to my brother无毛视频檚 place where I was quizzing Ryker by asking three questions familiar to him and in an exchange that normally goes like this:
Q: Who无毛视频檚 Uncle Mark无毛视频檚 baby?
A: Emma.
Q: Who无毛视频檚 Uncle Mark无毛视频檚 little buddy?
A: Ryker.
Q: Who无毛视频檚 Uncle Mark无毛视频檚 little bugaboo?
A: Nora.
However, after Ryker purposefully answered 无毛视频淓mma无毛视频� to the 无毛视频渓ittle buddy无毛视频� question, I threw my arms up and mockingly wailed that he was wrong and added that he didn无毛视频檛 win the all-expense-paid trip to Sandals Resorts, and that caused him to laugh and say, 无毛视频淎sk me that again, Uncle Mawk!无毛视频� and then he gave the same wrong answer because frustrating adults is hilarious to children.
By the 28th time, I started to see that 无毛视频渁gain, again, again无毛视频� pattern starting to emerge and I, like a fool, tried to outlast the kid, but soon found I didn无毛视频檛 have the physical or mental stamina or the basic willpower to continue, and then I collapsed on the floor.
As the children danced and laughed over my twitching body, I realized that we as adults also have repetitive rituals that we use on children.
One thing is the constant quizzing to the point of interrogating 无毛视频� 无毛视频淲ho无毛视频檚 a big boy? How old are you? What are you doing? What无毛视频檚 your name? What无毛视频檚 my name? Can you say 无毛视频榖eluga无毛视频�? Who无毛视频檚 a princess? Where is your nose? Where无毛视频檚 my nose? Where were you on the night of May 14? Whatcha doing with that super glue?无毛视频�
Another thing is raising your voice an octave higher and saying the kid无毛视频檚 name whenever you see them, and asking them questions.
无毛视频淣ooooooraaaa无毛视频hy is Uncle Mark无毛视频檚 shoes super-glued to the floor?无毛视频�
We as adults also tend to repeat things as soon as children learn to talk, and we do so like everything they say is a deep, yet confusing revelation.
无毛视频淯ncle Mawk, your shoes are stuck to the floor.无毛视频�
无毛视频淢y shoes are stuck to the floor!?无毛视频�
无毛视频淵eah, that无毛视频檚 what I said.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 what you said!?无毛视频�
无毛视频淵eah无毛视频 know.无毛视频�
无毛视频淵ou know!?无毛视频�
无毛视频淧lease stop, Uncle Mawk.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 why I can无毛视频檛 totally blame Ryker for flipping my quiz script on me.
Speaking of scripts, I should move on to Emma and how 9-year-olds like her choose to play.
Emma went through the 无毛视频渁gain, again, again无毛视频� phase, but she has moved on to more specific playtime requests.
Don无毛视频檛 get me wrong, I无毛视频檓 glad her imagination is vibrant, but she no longer pulls me into playing games, but scenarios normally reserved for an improv comedy troupe.
无毛视频淥kay, daddy, now this is the classroom and I无毛视频檓 the teacher, and you无毛视频檙e one of the students, but you无毛视频檙e the bad kid that the teacher doesn无毛视频檛 like and some of the kids like you, but the other kids don无毛视频檛 like you, and you think Brea is cute, but her friends Mia and Tia don无毛视频檛 want you to like her, and you无毛视频檝e been diagnosed with a mild case of psoriasis.无毛视频�
Once that scene plays out, Emma finds the need to redo it and switch things around, making me the teacher, giving me my motivation, notes on my character无毛视频檚 arch, the teacher无毛视频檚 back story, stage blocking, etc.
I know it sounds like I无毛视频檓 complaining and that无毛视频檚 because I most certainly am, but I have to admit that getting a chance to interact with children on their level over and over makes me feel young as well as extremely old, keeps my energy up, keeps my spirits high and keeps me away from the microwave.
According to Hofmann is written by staff reporter Mark Hofmann of Rostraver Township. He hosts the 无毛视频淟ocally Yours无毛视频� radio show on WMBS 590 AM every Friday. His book, 无毛视频漇tupid Brain,无毛视频� is available on Amazon.com.