We had a lot of CRAZY facial expressions at first. Over exaggerated stuff. Inappropriate reactions...toooooooo dramatic...straaaaange. There was no concept after 4.5 years of being in an institutionalized setting of what was appropriate.
Girlie had no idea that one did not have to open their mouth THISWIDE while eating...or that your face did not have to be THISSCRUNCHEDUPINAGAONY while brushing teeth. There was no concept of a shy smile. Each smile was a HUGEHUMONGOUSCRAZYLAUGHATTENTIONGRABBER.
Well, of course there was no modeling of appropriate social behavior. Lots of needy kids cramped in dingy living quarters and overworked underpaid nannies. Who has time to teach such basics?
A mother does. A father does.
We used the mirror as a tool.
"That's not quite alright, girlie....go do it again in the mirror. Take your food with you....and eat in the mirror" etc. " That laugh is a bit much. Do it again in the mirror."
"Are you in pain?"
"No."
"Well, go look in the mirror, because you appear as if you are about to die."
1 comments:
I love this! We haven't dealt with that so much, because ours was so tiny when we got her (2 yrs, 2 mos. but 12 lbs.). We had mostly to deal with social boundaries. Oh--did I say "had"??? Oops...of course I mean "have."
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