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ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Querencia," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," "Green Eggs and Hulk," and "kintsukuroi."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2. Skip to Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 3
One day after Flip finishes dust mopping the floor, he goes on to dust the furniture. It's not that much harder. He knows where to find the dust cloths and how to work the spray can of furniture polish. The can says Keep away from children but Flip knows better than to get it on his face. All his teachers say he is very smart for his age.
Flip sprays a little polish on the cloth. He wipes down the kitchen table and chairs. The golden wood gleams in the sun and the room smells like lemons, the way it used to.
"Flip, sweetie, you don't have to do all that," his mother says as she leans against the doorframe. "You're just a little boy. You should spend your time studying and playing."
"I want to help," Flip says, lifting his chin. "This is my family. You and Alexa are all I have left. We have to help each other. I know I'm only little and can't do much, but I want to do something. It's no fun playing by myself, especially if Alexa isn't feeling well and you're so tired from trying to do everything alone. We need each other."
Flip's mother hugs him tight. "Okay," she says. "We'll make a list of chores, and you can take on a few extra ones. You still have to keep up with your schoolwork, though, and I want you to get some playtime too. We can negotiate the details and see what works out. What kinds of things would you like to add?"
"I want to do next things," Flip says. He has a list in his head, and recites it carefully. "I already empty the dishwasher. I could probably load it. I fold the laundry. I could start washing it. I can make salad. I want to learn some real recipes, maybe something easy like cookies or scrambled eggs."
Mom raises her eyebrows. "Those are very good ideas. I'm proud of you, Flip, it sounds like you really put some thought into this."
"I don't want to mess up and just make things worse. I want to find things that I can really do to help," Flip says. "I know there's all kinds of stuff you're doing for Alexa that I can't, and the nurse comes to do the stuff that you can't. But if I do the easiest things, then you don't have to. You'll have more time for other things, and maybe you won't fall asleep on the couch so much."
"Okay, sweetie," Mom says. "I'm sure you'll be a big help."
Flip learns to do a few new chores. He also learns something amazing: when he helps other people, he doesn't feel quite so sad anymore. He feels useful again. He feels like he can make things just a little bit better. So he starts watching, all the time, for things to do and ways to take care of people.
The next thing he suggests, for playtime, is visiting the park on Saturday mornings. This gets everyone out of the house, encourages Alexa to try some of the simple playground equipment, and gives Flip a chance to play with other kids. It becomes a new family tradition.
Mom still falls asleep on the couch, but not as often. Flip doesn't mind. He covers her with the afghan and goes to start the laundry. The washing machine makes quiet sounds that are good for sleeping.
* * *
Notes:
With careful planning of the environment, children can do many things for themselves. Chores may be divided by child age to offer developmentally appropriate challenges. Understand that children may develop mental and physical skills faster in some areas and slower in others.
Uplifting scents such as lemon can help ease depression.
Children naturally want to help. However, they also require time to learn and play. There are ways to raise children who want to help others. Flip switches into this mode quickly, which suggests that his family already did things like this.
Cooking with kids is a natural part of family life, teaching an essential life skill. Know which kitchen tasks are appropriate for which age ranges. Peanut Butter Cookies and Scrambled Eggs are among the easiest recipes to learn.
Parentification can occur when a child takes on adult responsibilities, such as caring for an unwell family member. Most studies focus on the negative effects, such as loss of childhood; but there can be positive effects too, such as development of nurturing skills. Sometimes this kind of situation really breaks people. Other times, you get an adult who goes into caring professions -- a nurse, a teacher, or SHIELD's Mightiest Handler. Know how to heal the damage from parentification.
[To be continued in Part 4 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2. Skip to Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 3
One day after Flip finishes dust mopping the floor, he goes on to dust the furniture. It's not that much harder. He knows where to find the dust cloths and how to work the spray can of furniture polish. The can says Keep away from children but Flip knows better than to get it on his face. All his teachers say he is very smart for his age.
Flip sprays a little polish on the cloth. He wipes down the kitchen table and chairs. The golden wood gleams in the sun and the room smells like lemons, the way it used to.
"Flip, sweetie, you don't have to do all that," his mother says as she leans against the doorframe. "You're just a little boy. You should spend your time studying and playing."
"I want to help," Flip says, lifting his chin. "This is my family. You and Alexa are all I have left. We have to help each other. I know I'm only little and can't do much, but I want to do something. It's no fun playing by myself, especially if Alexa isn't feeling well and you're so tired from trying to do everything alone. We need each other."
Flip's mother hugs him tight. "Okay," she says. "We'll make a list of chores, and you can take on a few extra ones. You still have to keep up with your schoolwork, though, and I want you to get some playtime too. We can negotiate the details and see what works out. What kinds of things would you like to add?"
"I want to do next things," Flip says. He has a list in his head, and recites it carefully. "I already empty the dishwasher. I could probably load it. I fold the laundry. I could start washing it. I can make salad. I want to learn some real recipes, maybe something easy like cookies or scrambled eggs."
Mom raises her eyebrows. "Those are very good ideas. I'm proud of you, Flip, it sounds like you really put some thought into this."
"I don't want to mess up and just make things worse. I want to find things that I can really do to help," Flip says. "I know there's all kinds of stuff you're doing for Alexa that I can't, and the nurse comes to do the stuff that you can't. But if I do the easiest things, then you don't have to. You'll have more time for other things, and maybe you won't fall asleep on the couch so much."
"Okay, sweetie," Mom says. "I'm sure you'll be a big help."
Flip learns to do a few new chores. He also learns something amazing: when he helps other people, he doesn't feel quite so sad anymore. He feels useful again. He feels like he can make things just a little bit better. So he starts watching, all the time, for things to do and ways to take care of people.
The next thing he suggests, for playtime, is visiting the park on Saturday mornings. This gets everyone out of the house, encourages Alexa to try some of the simple playground equipment, and gives Flip a chance to play with other kids. It becomes a new family tradition.
Mom still falls asleep on the couch, but not as often. Flip doesn't mind. He covers her with the afghan and goes to start the laundry. The washing machine makes quiet sounds that are good for sleeping.
* * *
Notes:
With careful planning of the environment, children can do many things for themselves. Chores may be divided by child age to offer developmentally appropriate challenges. Understand that children may develop mental and physical skills faster in some areas and slower in others.
Uplifting scents such as lemon can help ease depression.
Children naturally want to help. However, they also require time to learn and play. There are ways to raise children who want to help others. Flip switches into this mode quickly, which suggests that his family already did things like this.
Cooking with kids is a natural part of family life, teaching an essential life skill. Know which kitchen tasks are appropriate for which age ranges. Peanut Butter Cookies and Scrambled Eggs are among the easiest recipes to learn.
Parentification can occur when a child takes on adult responsibilities, such as caring for an unwell family member. Most studies focus on the negative effects, such as loss of childhood; but there can be positive effects too, such as development of nurturing skills. Sometimes this kind of situation really breaks people. Other times, you get an adult who goes into caring professions -- a nurse, a teacher, or SHIELD's Mightiest Handler. Know how to heal the damage from parentification.
[To be continued in Part 4 ...]
Re: Attitude is all!
Date: 2017-01-02 06:12 pm (UTC)