Published: June 22, 2008 12:38 am            

DRINKWALTER: Jimmy goes to the circus

Once Paul and I hit middle age, we found most of our peers already had grandchildren. Being one of the have not’s didn’t bother me until recently. Mind you, I’m not one to coo over babies, but I enjoy carrying on a conversation with the little tikes once they hit what we used to call the “terrible twos.” Over the years, the rules for childrearing and childcare have changed so much, I’m afraid to tend to or hold anyone’s baby.

I used to borrow friend’s kids to attend children’s movies and the like but their kids are older now. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we have grandchildren of our own to spoil, but for now, it’s just the two of us.

So, with childlike anticipation, it was off we go to the Carson & Barnes Circus at the Niagara County Fairgrounds last Friday. After we parked and got out of the Jeep I blurted out (in kind of a Tourette’s Syndrome manner, which shocked even me), “We forgot the kid!” Overhearing my outburst, a man walking in front of us with his family let out a laugh. That was all the encouragement I needed to get the fun rolling.

“I know!” I said to my husband, “We can pretend we have a kid with us. Then people won’t give us strange looks for going to a circus without any children. ‘Darn that Jimmy,’ I will say once in awhile so people around us think we brought a child along.

“He’s at that age I’ll tell you. He gets so embarrassed to be seen with Mom and Dad!”

With that premise, I would look around every so often and say, “Where is that Jimmy now? I hope he saw that tightrope act.” Then there was the occasional lament, “That Jimmy sure has a mind of his own, doesn’t he? I haven’t seen him all night.”

When the circus was over, we were walking out of the Big Top with the crowd and suddenly a car alarm sounded. “Oh, that Jimmy!” I said, “We just can’t take him anywhere can we?”

OK, we were silly, but after a long week, a little banter was needed.

As for child rearing, it’s hard to keep up with the rules. Babies are forced to sleep on their backs and to learn sign language before they learn to speak and when they’re a bit older we are to sit them down for a “time out” when they are disobedient. Who knows, maybe by the time we have grandchildren the babies will be allowed to sleep on their sides and stomachs without the parents fearing they will suffer S.D.S. — Sudden Death Syndrome.

Maybe by the time our children have kids, we won’t have to learn sign language to communicate with babies and a light rap on the butt for disobedience instead of sitting down for a “time out” will be allowed again.

I used to refer to my book on childcare written by Dr. Spock (no not the guy from Star Trek) constantly when our kids were babies. That is no longer fashionable either.

Who knows what the trend in childrearing will be when our kids have kids. Oh, and as far as we know, Jimmy ran off and joined the circus!

Deb Drinkwalter is a Lockport resident. Her column appears every Sunday. Send comments to d.drinkwalter@yahoo.com.

        

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