Concerts with Daughter

About 4 times a year, Daughter and I go to a concert. We both enjoy a variety of styles of music, and these concerts are a real treat. We had one last night. At intermission, I realized that Daughter has one script for concerts. She pulls it out for every one we attend. It goes something like this. It starts early the day of the concert.

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"I'm not going." Now sometimes there are variations on this theme. She may say she doesn't deserve to go. She may claim she doesn't like that kind of music. But at some point, she informs me she's not going to go. Sometimes I ignore her. Sometimes I say simply, "You're going."

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We get to the concert, and she pouts, at least until the music begins. When the music begins, she gets a big smile on her face and tells me I was right.

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At intermission, she always says, "We need to go home now."

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I always tell her we're staying. She then dramatically checks her blood sugar (which is always fine, eliminating that as a reason to leave early.) Then she puts her head on my shoulder, to show me how tired she is. Actually, it's an attempt to control my movements. She leans hard, and if I move to much will wrap her arms around my arm to hold it in place.

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When the second half begins, she continues to pout and let me know how tired she is, except I will generally feel her foot tapping or some other positive response to the music. Last night the concert was so good she actually sat up and became engaged in the second half of the concert. It was rather amusing. As the concert winds down, she always informs me it's time to leave. She never wants to stay for the encore. We always stay for the encore.

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Last night, as the concert approached the end, we could hear a thunderstorm outside. Because basketball tournament games were going on at the same place, we had had to park a very long way from the door. She helpfully pointed out to me that it was raining, we didn't have umbrellas, and that the car was a long walk from the door. I didn't know any of these things, of course.

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Fortunately, by the time we left, it wasn't raining quite so hard. This morning is the final act of her concert script. She's refusing to get up, because she's too tired from the concert I forced her to attend.

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We both enjoyed the concert, and I'm glad we went. If I'm feeling brave, I think for the next concert I will remind her of her lines, so she won't forget any of them. I'll have to be feeling brave, though, because that could be dangerous.