Pavlov Was A Genius!

I remember and have used a lot of what I learned in my Psychology classes as I raised my kids.  I was never really crazy about Freud's theories.  In my opinion, you have to be pretty twisted yourself to come up with that stuff.  I cannot argue toomuch with Erickson's theories about a stable person building on basics like a pyramid.  Most of the time, I feel pretty stable and there have been plenty of times when my "pyramid" did not come close to the shape of the ones in Egypt!  I really cannot remember which psychologist came up with theories about babies hitting an age where they would not venture over the edge of a platform because they could finally discern depth.  Apparently that guy never babysat!

However, Pavlov!  He was a genius!  The part of his work that I remember most is the Pavlovian response where a bell would ring and a dog would respond predictably.  That guy clearly spent time with children!

Let's start with this one.  Ask my grandchildren not to argue.  I can guarantee you that these little people will bicker and argue non-stop for at least 12 hours or until their endurance runs out or my stamina causes me to snap!  And believe me they can find that many things to argue about, all the way down to one of them eating the one single potato chip in the bag that the other one wanted.  

And we can continue with this.  Please be quiet the two babies are taking a nap.  As soon as those words leave my lips a temper tantrum of epic proportions begins.  The screaming becomes so loud that the hour and half nap barely lasts 30 minutes.  I can promise you that Pavlov was right about the predictable response!

And how about this one?  I have instructed the kids that if they need to talk to me, especially when I am working on the computer, to please come  up to me and tap me on the shoulder and wait.  That instruction goes in one ear and their bodies react by screaming to me from a four rooms away or walking up to me and immediately talking and asking questions.  Too late for me, the train of thought is gone!

And finally, the kids have been taught (just kidding about that) or at least told that when Nana is on the phone doing business they  need to be quiet.  The phone actually touching my ear creates and instant and severe response in my grandchildren.  They begin fighting over which one gets to play with the Prince Eric and Ariel "Little People", Foam Blocks fly past me as they are hurled in anger because someone dumped the blocks out of the truck, screaming ensues because one of them wants ALL the trucks and God forbid you should touch one of the dinosaurs without permission! 

Can you imagine what all that chaos sounds like to the Administrator, Board Member or insurance company that I am talking to?  And then I finally lose it an the conversation goes from professional to me stopping mid-sentence and saying intelligent things like "if you make one more sound about that dinosaur I will bake him in a pie in the oven!"  Thankfully, with Covid so many people now work from home that they get it.  Also, enough people know what I do all day long that if they were in the room with me, they would simply pat me on the head and smile.

I have always wondered what it might be like to go from Point A to Point B without the interruptions, screaming and "needs".  I usually start at Point A, zigzag to Point G, double back to Point C and completely forget why and what Point B is.  Now there is a psychological study that has never been attempted - the mind of the mother with small children!

​Have a blessed week!

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