Mad TV Sketch equals my life

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Did anyone else see that sketch last night of some poor math teacher trying to explain geometry to Edward the Dumbass?

That character was spookily reminiscent of my 12-year-old brother-in-law, whom I am raising.

Is there a name for that type of behaviour and does anyone have any tips on how to deal with it? I can’t tell you how often I get into circular conversations with this kid. For example, he has to sell a case of chocolates for school. He’s sold over half of them so far. He and I were going to go out on Friday to finish the rest (door-to-door) but it was raining and he didn’t want to so he said he’d do it today (Sunday). Here’s the conversation that took place today:

Me: Are you ready to go sell your chocolates?
Him: First we have to pump up my bike tire and get a new helmet.
Me: I’ll take you to pump up your bike, but I can’t get you a new helmet today.
Him: Why not?
Me: I can’t afford it.
Him: Why not?
Me: I just can’t afford it right now. Do you want to go and get your bike pumped up?
Him: But I can’t ride my bike without a helmet!
Me: Don’t you have a helmet?
Him: Well I do, but it is chipped on the side, and it’s soaking wet (because he has left it outside for two weeks).
Me: Well I guess you can’t ride your bike then. Do you want me to drive you around to sell your chocolates?
Him: No, I don’t want to drive, I want to ride my bike!
Me: but you can’t ride your bike without a helmet, right?
Him: No. When can I get a new helmet?
Me: Not for a while. Do you want to just walk around to sell your chocolates?
Him: No. I want to ride my bike!
Me: How are you going to sell your chocolates then?
Him: I’m not.
Me: But you promised me you would do it today.
Him: But I can’t ride my bike without a helmet!

This conversation could easily go on for an hour until one of us snapped the other one’s head off.

So is this just the way kids are or is this something other than that? Any tips on how to deal with it (other than what I’m doing, which is state the rules of the situation and present it to him to find a solution)? Anybody else think it’s weird that MadTV has a hidden camera in my house?

Anyone else being driven absolutely crazy by the fact that the shape they drew at the end was a TRAPEZOID, not a RHOMBUS???

2

I had a conversation like that with my aunt when I was about 10 or so . . . I didn’t understand why she couldn’t take pictures of deer when it was late fall and 6 PM. She explained about the light but her photography (and my previous experience with photography) was such that I had never understood about the need for decent light.

I feel sorry for her . . . having to try to explain that to a kid who was booksmart but who had the common sense of a Mendel pea plant.

3

Does your brother-in-law by any chance post to the SDMB?

4

That conversation is not so hard to understand. Your brother-in-law either a: did not want to sell the chocolates or b: wanted a new helmet right away

5

Yes. I know the bastards did it solely to irk me, too.

6

yeah, I have very low patience with people like that and it might be understandable if they were kids but often they are (allegedly) mature adults. Often some blond I was hoping to get lucky with…

In the case of kids I think sometimes it is the fault of the adults who want to reason and explain everything. Kids often cannot understand “reaons” and they only find insecurity in such exchange. They feel better if the adult would just state a firm position as this gives them a feeling of security and not having to analyze things that are too complex for them.

At any rate, MAD TV is the best and WAY better than SNL.