26 February, 2011

Off to the store

We're having people over for dinner and to watch Melodifestivalen tonight. What can we say, we've adapted? But accordingly, we're making food for more than our customary two, and had to conglomerate the ingredients with stops to Lidl, ICA, Coop. You know, good value-for-money, and to get us out of the house.

We were in a looooong line in a naaaaaaaaaarrow shop (befitting city living), and so checked out the other people in line. We couldn't help but notice the poor little girl screaming cutely at the top of her lungs. Yes, somehow it's cuter when it's in Swedish instead of our native tongue.
What I found remarkable was her father's response. He calmly walked her back to where she'd found the Pink Unobtainium and made her put it back. I really admired and respected what that took, and thought I'd award him my mental: Parent of the Day. He was like a Zen monk. And she quieted a little as he picked her up.
We had just been talking about parenting at a fika this week, and how sad it is that kids are drowned in presents every Christmas. And I get it, parents get sucked in to it. So this resistant father gets my Tip Of the Hat. My description doesn't give you the sense of the master bargaining skills this little girl was employing, "det är dåligt, snälla snälla snälla...ja vill ha..." but it was impressive. I am a sentimental sort, and I couldn't help but think that although she didn't know it, that little girl had everything she needs.
I guess it's un-Swedish to notice someone else's business in public, but having seen kids get smacked around in stores before, it's nice to see an example of the other side of the spectrum.

5 comments:

  1. I say, beat the snot out of her! ;)

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  2. Yeah, you def see the more hands-off side of parenting here in Sweden!

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  3. Witnessing the melt-down (which continued passed the checkout and onto the street) spurred a conversation about how we'd have handled it and the kind of parents we want to be when we get to that point. Sadly, I could see that kind of melt down requiring a McDonalds happy meal band-aid. The dad was truly zen.

    And it was pitifully adorable.

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  4. Luckily, Laura's tantrums can still be quenched rather easily, but those days are numbered. I shudder at the thought...

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  5. I've noticed a really nice relationship between parents and kids here too.

    At the weekend I was having a coffee when I saw this dad and tiny kid (couldn't tell which kind, it was wearing a snow suit!!) pretty much fika-ing together and having this really intense conversation. I don't mean intense like it was about something serious, but they were paying so much attention to each other, it was really beautiful to see.

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