Thursday, January 30, 2014

Oh No, Not The Kid's Table!

I was the first grandchild in my family and my Mom and I lived with her parents. I grew up eating at the dinner table with the adults. I was used to eating whatever they ate and listening to the adult conversations. Then my aunt started a family and suddenly when they visited or on holidays I found myself parked at the 'kid's table' with my cousins. We sometimes ate at a different time than the adults, sometimes ate different food and the conversation was lousy. I hated the kid's table.
For the past year, since Sydney and Mackey have lived with us, Rob feeds the two little girls in the kitchen while I take the older dogs to the garage for their meals. At bedtime Rob gives the little ones their yogurt and again I take the others to the garage. After yogurt the big dogs go into the back yard for their last call and Rob takes the little girls into the front yard on leash.
About six months ago we started keeping Morgan upstairs for last call. By that time at night she was tired and stairs were becoming harder for her to negotiate. Also she was getting lost in the back yard and I'd have to take a flashlight and go looking for her. I didn't enjoy climbing the hill in the dark so letting her eat with the little girls and wander in the front yard seemed like a good solution.
Rob and I were pleased with the situation, but Morgan was NOT. Morgan does not want to be at the kid's table. She feels that she's entitled to gather with the big dogs and doesn't want any part of those noisy little ones. When she saw me start toward the stairs, she'd make a run for them. I'd try to head her off and coax her back to the kitchen, but she was not happy about it. So I let her go to the garage with us  to have her yogurt. Then I leashed her up and wandered around in the dark till she was ready to go back in.
Now, suddenly, Sydney has decided that she doesn't want to eat at the kid's table either. When Rob puts her bowl on her mat, she sits down and stares at it, then walks away. After two days of refusing her meals, I tried feeding her in the garage with the big dogs and she happily cleans her bowl.
So now Mac is eating by herself in the kitchen while Morgan and big girl Syd accompany me to the garage. How long before Mac decides that she's a big dog, too?
Who wants to sit at the kid's table?

NOT US !

15 comments:

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

SHE remembers the kids' table well. Roxy used to have to eat separately. Now, she can eat in the kitchen with us....BUT at the other end. Roxy used to try to intimidate Bella out of her food.

XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

Maybe Mac just likes to be an only dog sometimes.

ElleC said...

Dogs have such definite ideas about right and wrong, don't they? For instance Jasper will only sit next to me in the morning if there is a blanket to cover him. He will sit and whine and look at the blankie and then back at me, until I get up and get it.

You are right, the grownup table was so much more fun. I learned early if I kept quiet and didn't say a word, the adults would forget I was there and I would hear such interesting stuff. I didn't hate the kids table, but it did depend on your dining partners.

Ruby said...

That is so funny! Ma says she always hated the kids table too, cause, well, she hated her cousins and thought they were imbeciles. (okay, so Ma has issues with her cousins...maybe the 'kids table' was more about the dislike of them, then the 'kids table' concept...)
Anyhu, if Mac is anything like MOI, she will relish havin' Rob all to herself, and will never want to eat with the Big Dogs!! hehehe Hey, I thinks she just might be a 'Princess' like me!
Just sayin'....
Kisses,
Ruby ♥

Anonymous said...

Kids Table, well yuk! don't know that we ever did that, as each one came along we were put right together for dinner. It did help cause we all were taught not to take anybody else's food, so we never learned to gulp food down if fact ME Susie I take my time an savior each bite. Kids Table Yuk!

The Mad Scots

My Dog Sam - Ruptured Disk said...

Ah I'm a dog, I'll eat at any table. But the adults are way more fun.

gMarie said...

they do have their own opinions - don't they? I can't imagine either of my dogs ever leaving food - evah!! g

Jo's World said...

Funny and cute post, Sue! I'm gonna be a Morgan old Lady and not take any kind of baloney anyone hands out. I love it that she knows right where she belongs and its not with those Punks!

Thanks for a good laugh tonight.

Cheers,
Jo, Stella and Zkhat

Molly the Airedale said...

Gee, our mom loved the kids table and scootching around with the cousins. The kids table always got loud and rowdy because we were having fun and it wasn't long before one of the adults (usually mom's dad) would come out and lay down the law. Thank you for the wonderful memory, Miss Sue ☺

soulbrush said...

I hated sitting with my parents as they were so fierce and strict and we were meant to 'be seen no heard' as kids, I wish we had had a 'kid's table' then. Loving your doggies as always, wish I could pain them all!!

Marjie said...

As an only child, and the only grandchild on my mother's side, I never went to a kids' table. I think poor Morgan was right to want to remain with the adults, although taking her out is a little harder this way. Mac may outgrow her need for the kid table after a while; or she may not get lonely with Rob for her very own!

SissySees said...

Hahahaha... I love it. However, in my mother's family, we actually "fight" over who gets to go to the kids table! We eat the same food, and the conversation is always better. For Christmas, it was my favorite cousin, me, the Knight and my sister and her husband. Ironically, the two children were sent to the big table where manners are more important and laughing with food in your mouth is strongly discouraged.

STELLA and RORY from Down Under said...

Oh that photo is precious. It bought back memories especially the girls' hair cuts! Maybe Syd wants to be one of the biggies now. Mac probably loves the individual attention hehe. Loved the post. No worries, and love, Carol (and Stella and Rory)

Nicki said...

No one likes the kids table!

Lapdog Creations said...

Awww, no one like the special kids table? :(

Dexter said...

I guess the kids are growing up. Funny how they let you know. Well, at least mealtime will be easier once everybody is at the same table.

Mango Momma