Tranquility7 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My kids (7 & 4 yrs old) are always completely *fascinated* by whoever visits our house, and they want to watch everything the visitor does. This goes for painters, plumbers, electricians, you name it. I always try to read the person when they arrive to see if they are open to interacting with the children, and then if they seem to be, I ask them if they mind if the kids watch what they are doing. Then if they say it is okay, the kids have rules about staying out of the way and not talking their ears off. They are MUCH better at following the first rule than the second, but I try to intervene if it gets out of hand. Currently the (very friendly) piano tuner is in the next room. My kids are on two little chairs right beside him. Poor guy made the (enormous!) mistake of chatting with them and telling them to feel free to ask questions if they wanted. He probably meant about *piano tuning*, don't you think?? But unfortunately he did not make that clear to my kids. They have asked a few piano-related questions, but now they have launched into: - Which is bigger, 3/4 or 2/3? - How many centimeters are in an inch? - Is "lollipop" a compound word? - How far are the moons of Jupiter from Jupiter? - How do babies breathe water before they are born? - Do you have a pony at home? - Do you play chess? - Do you know how much I weigh? I think I must go intervene :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 No! Don't intervene...eavesdrop! I need to hear more of their questions. I'm already snorting with laughter. This can only get better. My kid once tried that with the person repairing my dryer, but she just put him to work. He perched on a chair next to her and read from the repair manual so she didn't have to keep looking at it. Worked out great, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We have this issue as well. It is only in the last year that Punk has quit stalking the repairmen to the point I have to intervene. I LOVE the questions though; I am sure the piano tuner will have a great story to tell over supper tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My boys would follow them around like apprentice and ask a hundred and one questions. No one had needed "rescuing" so far. Unfortunately no one has put my boys to work either, that would be fun for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My people are obsessive watchers if anyone is in the home -- bug guy, repair man, you name it. Your kids sound adorable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My husband enjoys kids watching him when he is working in another home. However, he doesn't enjoy when the kids talk non stop to him. He requires some amount of concentration to complete his tasks and was not hired as a babysitter. He had one job he was at for about 6 hours and the kid was by him the entire time asking questions, one after another. Even asking a new question before he finished the answer to the previous question. I think any person would find it tiring. I know I would and I have 9 kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Yep, my kids are totally fascinated and watch. But both of them are more quiet and don't talk to the person much. Funny questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 hehe. I remember sitting on the basement steps when I was 7 or 8 watching the heater guys install a new system at our house. They were working throughout the house for 3 days. I watched everything they did, didn't talk to much because I'm an observer. They'd come back once a year do routine stuff and a few times came out because of other things (they also did plumbing work.) They seemed to love all the kids watching them and answering the few questions we had. I also remember the repairman who couldn't even stand us watching him quietly. In a house of 7 kids it was bound someone would be watching at any given time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My now 16yods is past that stage now - but when he was about 11 we had a new septic system installed (tank and leech field). He started out watching from our back porch every morning. That lasted for a day, then the owner of the business put him to work. He worked with the guys everyday they were here - probably about 10 days or so, off and on. It was wonderful for him. I talked privately to the owner after the first day and he said he was delighted to have the help and someone interested in the process. A few years later, the same ds was about 13/14 when we added an extensive addition on to the back of our house (large family room, three bedrooms and a bathroom). When the bulldozer pulled in on April 1, I knew that school work was probably done for the year as he was plastered to the back window to watch the process. I don't think he ever helped with the foundation but as soon as the general contractor began working, Mr. George, asked me if he could put Eli to work. He spent the next six months being a general "gofer" off and on whenever the guys were here. It was better than school for him! He was fighting me on a lot of stuff that year and the days he spent with the construction crew convinced him that math was important no matter what. He's my go-to man now when I have a question or something doesn't work the way it should because he saw the whole process and participated in it. About two times a week he would go out to eat with the "guys" for lunch. They were a wonderful influence on him - men of character who taught him their jobs and took the time to get to know him. I've always been so thankful for the experience and the patience - the only time I winced was when they put him on the roof when the trusses were going up! They had him all rigged up though so he was safe. I didn't think about it until later that the boss was probably going out on a limb, legally, to allow him to work like that but he knew our family through the pastor at our church and I'm glad he trusted us not to be "sue-happy". Other than those two experiences, where the bosses invited my son to participate, I try to keep the kids back and quiet. Unless the worker invites conversation with the kids, I don't allow them to pepper questions at them or get up close. I want the job done right and in a timely manner :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sometimes the kids will say hello, but continue with schoolwork. Other times they'll want to ask questions, so I ask if the repair person or technician minds. I try to keep the kids focused on the repair or task at hand and I limit the session to a few minutes. The best time was a repair man for our television. He took off the back, explained all the parts to the kids, and let DS screw in one of the replaced components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 ds watched and talked to all workmen in the house at that age. Plumbers, piano tuners, you name it. I always made sure it was OK and he wasn't interfering with the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My now 16yods is past that stage now - but when he was about 11 we had a new septic system installed (tank and leech field). He started out watching from our back porch every morning. That lasted for a day, then the owner of the business put him to work. He worked with the guys everyday they were here - probably about 10 days or so, off and on. It was wonderful for him. I talked privately to the owner after the first day and he said he was delighted to have the help and someone interested in the process. A few years later, the same ds was about 13/14 when we added an extensive addition on to the back of our house (large family room, three bedrooms and a bathroom). When the bulldozer pulled in on April 1, I knew that school work was probably done for the year as he was plastered to the back window to watch the process. I don't think he ever helped with the foundation but as soon as the general contractor began working, Mr. George, asked me if he could put Eli to work. He spent the next six months being a general "gofer" off and on whenever the guys were here. It was better than school for him! He was fighting me on a lot of stuff that year and the days he spent with the construction crew convinced him that math was important no matter what. He's my go-to man now when I have a question or something doesn't work the way it should because he saw the whole process and participated in it. About two times a week he would go out to eat with the "guys" for lunch. They were a wonderful influence on him - men of character who taught him their jobs and took the time to get to know him. I've always been so thankful for the experience and the patience - the only time I winced was when they put him on the roof when the trusses were going up! They had him all rigged up though so he was safe. I didn't think about it until later that the boss was probably going out on a limb, legally, to allow him to work like that but he knew our family through the pastor at our church and I'm glad he trusted us not to be "sue-happy". What great experiences! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 The last guy who couldn't fix our appliance and was going to cart it off for scrap, let ds16 cannibalize it for parts. Ds sure liked that! I wasn't so sure since we have enough weird spare parts cluttering up the shelves in his room. But who knows perhaps he'll use it to put together a satellite or something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 My kids always ignored them. But I also felt it was my job to let the person do their work without my children hanging over their shoulder or distracting them, so I never allowed them near the service person anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Those questions are priceless! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 My kids always ignored them. But I also felt it was my job to let the person do their work without my children hanging over their shoulder or distracting them, so I never allowed them near the service person anyway. Same here. I would let my ds observe from a distance and maybe ask a few questions, but I think anything beyond that would have been intrusive. If I was in someone's house to repair something, I wouldn't want to have to deal with their children for more than a few minutes. I would want to get in, do my job, and get to my next appointment. Time is money, and depending on the service person, he may also be rated by his employer on how long it takes him to complete his work each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Total and complete distraction for my kids, but generally just observing not interacting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 It is rare that we have people here (DH works in construction and can handle most stuff himself), but when we had the guy here to fix the internet, my then 4yo was totally fascinated. That guy was great! He looked at my four kids and my very pregnant belly and asked if all the kids were mine. I thought, "Oh, no, here we go." But no! He said, "My wife and I have six." Then, he asked if we were homeschoolers. He said the piles of books were dead giveaways. Turns out that he and his wife homeschool in the next county over. He was really nice. In fact, when my 4yo saw him across the street the following week, fixing some else's phone, he smiled and waved and greeted my 4yo. DH is in people's houses fairly often, and I think he would not mind a couple of polite, interested questions from kids, but it would obviously depend on what he was doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquility7 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Glad to know my kids are not the only ones who are fascinated by everyone who comes through our door! My husband enjoys kids watching him when he is working in another home. However, he doesn't enjoy when the kids talk non stop to him. He requires some amount of concentration to complete his tasks and was not hired as a babysitter. He had one job he was at for about 6 hours and the kid was by him the entire time asking questions, one after another. Even asking a new question before he finished the answer to the previous question. I think any person would find it tiring. I know I would and I have 9 kids! Yes, this is why I asked. That is totally how *I* would be if I were a going into someone else's home to get work done - it would wear me out if kids (or anyone!) were overly chatty. But I'm also a severe introvert, so I never know if my responses to situations are typical or weird. I do always stay close so I can listen and observe and intervene, especially if the worker is not *initiating* conversation with the kids (as opposed to just responding to them, which could be just out of obligation). The piano tuner was definitely a conversation initiator too, but I did end up intervening a couple of times since the kids were SO involved, but the piano tuner kept saying they were "delightful" and making it a fun appointment for him and reassuring me he was happy to have them there. Even when he finished tuning he was in no hurry to leave and asked DS to play piano for him a while, which was extremely sweet and DS loved doing. DD kept trying to get him to play chess with her but he drew the line at that (LOL!), but as he was leaving he said the kids were "awesome" and this was definitely the best appointment of his week, probably his month. So that made me feel good! :D FWIW, the kids were definitely a counterexample of the stereotype of unsocialized homeschoolers today, so that made me happy too. I *never* would have engaged in conversation with a workman when I was little - but again maybe that is just because I'm such an introvert and other traditionally schooled kids would have been just as sociable as mine are. Who knows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 DS9 also pulls up a chair to watch them, and ask questions. He actually drew a picture of the oven repair man, repairing the oven, while he was fixing the oven, and gave it to him as he left, lol!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 My kids are all very shy, so they pretty much stay away from any workmen in the house. But even if they weren't shy, I probably wouldn't let them be intrusive. I know that if I were a workmen, I'd want to hurry and finish so that I could move on to my next job. Dragging it out means that they could get home late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I'm glad we're not the only ones! My kids think it's SUPER AMAZING AWESOME when a worker comes to our house. Luckily for them, we've had some plumbing issues ). For the most part, the plumbers have been super generous with their time and patience with the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 They loved it when we had a small room built. DH put yellow tape on the stairs and told the kids they could sit behind it and watch. I didn't want them to get in the way or to distract the workers - I wanted the job done well! Everyone seemed satisfied at the solution. If they went beyond the tape on purpose, they had to come upstairs. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Ok. I'm the mean mom. The situation Janet described sounded ideal for everyone involved. However, I wouldn't let my small kids pepper a workman with incessant questions while he was working. If they're polite enough to strike up, and even enjoy the initial interaction, they're probably too polite to tell you when it gets distracting or annoying. I'd probably let them watch if they could do it without crowding the workspace. You have to keep in mind that normal people expect more personal space than the mothers of small children. If they were firing questions at the person, I'd shut it down after about 5-10 minutes. I'd probably make an exception if the questions were purely trade-related and they workman was clearly enjoying answering them. I guess a situation where you're paying the guy by the hour, and he doesn't have other appointments after yours, could be a mutually beneficial exception. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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