Ice Girl tapped on the glass that separates the rink from the lobby this morning. I looked up from my book. She pointed to her eyes and then pointed to herself.Yep! I’ll watch you! I gave her the thumbs-up.
That one we have: watch me. We also have I need some water and I need a tissue.
The rest? Not so much.
Ice Girl and I are terrible at rink communication. Just awful. She’ll skate to the glass and make a complicated series of gestures and I just don’t get it. Sometimes other moms translate for me, but more often than not, I’m trotting to the rink door to find out I want to stay for the second session or my back sit spin was great that time; weren’t you watching, Mom?
I know a mom who is very good at rink communication, but she denies her talent and responds to her kid with a hand wave that means go skate, kid, this ice is expensive.
My standard response is more along the lines of the chicken dance.
Ice Girl is 13. Her standard response to the chicken dance is rolling her eyes and skating away from me as fast as possible.
Wait! I know that one! It's Geez, Mom, you're embarrassing me.
I’m curious: are you good at rink communication or are you hopeless, like me? We’ve been doing this for over a year and my skills haven’t improved at all.
Hi Ice Mom,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I also started out with a sort of sign language before she was a reader but now we use 2 small white erase boards. She has one and I have one and we just scribble messages to each other, It saves me tons of running back and fourth and gives her more ice time. She keeps hers in her basket that she keeps with her rink side(she keeps her cd,tissues,water bottle,gloves etc). However I have perfected the killer glare that says " go skate or you owe me money!!!"
LOL!
I don't think I've seen anyone with a whiteboard at the rink, but that's certainly a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the killer glare, though!
Oh yes, the gestures are quite funny. But funnier yet are the looks my daugher gives me when she doesn't get what I am trying to tell her.
ReplyDeleteDd is getting sooo much better at not wasting ice time and I am getting better at being very clear that she will OWE me if she does waste time. We still have the occational "goof off" day, but as long as she is skating and doing SOMETHING I am happy. :-)
Anyway, if you ever perfect the language through the glass, you should write a book and include visuals too, because I am sure many of us will need that visual in order to complete the task! LOL
I have learned to communicate through the glass using American Sign Language. It is something that I learned several years ago but now my skater takes it for credit in school. Although he is much better and faster we can still communicate. I often sign "watch out for little people" or "you look tired - get water" and yes of course he still signs to his mother "watch me" because I'm usually talking to the other moms.
ReplyDeleteEasier than actual sign language is the fingerspelling. Then with just 26 little signs, you can say anything. Besides, didn't you ever see The River Wild with Meryl Streep? You might need fingerspelling someday if you're ever taken hostage and need to communicate silently!
ReplyDeleteMeredith
From Anony...
ReplyDeleteYou might need fingerspelling someday if you're ever taken hostage and need to communicate silently!
Which could happen. My minivan is in much demand...:)
Very smart solution, Anony!