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Post by greer on Jan 15, 2008 11:20:57 GMT -5
While I was reading Karen's Bunny last night, I realized that the way Andrew reacted to the situation seemed waaaay advanced for a four-year-old. My little brother is in kindergarten, and he is generally considered to be a very smart little boy. Yet I can't picture him reacting to Karen the way Andrew does. Andrew tells Karen she is bossy, that he wants to do things by himself, and also calls up his teacher to explain the bunny idea. These actions all seem to be more in line with someone 2-3 years older than Andrew.
What do you think of Andrew's behavior in LS? Is it in line with your perception of a four-year-old?
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scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
Boo and bullfrogs!
Posts: 414
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Post by scrounge on Jan 15, 2008 13:33:03 GMT -5
I can see a four-year old telling his sister that she's bossy and he wants to do things by himself. Calling his teacher? Less likely. What I really hate when Andrew does things like refuse to speak to Karen for days at a time. I don't know any four-year olds who can hold a grudge as long as he does. Most of the ones I know would spend an hour going "Karen, I'm not talking to you. Even if you ask me a question, I won't answer, cause I'm not speaking to you," and then get over it and move on to, "Karen, want to play trucks with me?" I'd agree that Andrew often seems to be written as older than four, usually I can ignore it for plot purposes.
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Post by greer on Jan 15, 2008 13:35:46 GMT -5
I can see a four-year-old saying to someone that she's being bossy, but the way he said it somehow seemed too mature.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 15, 2008 17:34:51 GMT -5
I do the same thing, scrounge, with Andrew and lots of other things. I try to read the books "as is" and not question too much. ;D Agree that Andrew is too advanced for a 4 year old but I have known some really sophisticated little kids and I guess they were almost as advanced (from what I remember, at least ;D) I just basically overlook it, though, if it doesn't make sense. I just don't like it when Andrew is bratty in any way to Karen because I like her so well and wouldn't want to have a little brother so feel for her in books like Karen's Tattletale.
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Jan 15, 2008 21:22:39 GMT -5
I can see a four-year old telling his sister that she's bossy and he wants to do things by himself. Calling his teacher? Less likely. What I really hate when Andrew does things like refuse to speak to Karen for days at a time. I don't know any four-year olds who can hold a grudge as long as he does. Most of the ones I know would spend an hour going "Karen, I'm not talking to you. Even if you ask me a question, I won't answer, cause I'm not speaking to you," and then get over it and move on to, "Karen, want to play trucks with me?" I'd agree that Andrew often seems to be written as older than four, usually I can ignore it for plot purposes. I hated when Andrew did that to Karen in Karen's Tattletale because I like her. I also agree that Andrew was written as older than four because really, what four year old is capable of holding a grudge for days? I understand that he was most likely written as older than four because of plot purposes but if that was the reason, then why was he four originally? They could've made him be five or six and it probably would've made more sense, but then again, what am I thinking? This is BSC land after all, where 13 year olds act like mini adults ;D.
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msstock87
Sitting For The Braddocks
Here Comes The Bride!
Created by Rie.
Posts: 3,618
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Post by msstock87 on Jan 16, 2008 13:02:21 GMT -5
I think at times Andrew acts his age and other times I felt he was being portrayed as somebody maybe 5 or 6. I felt at times he held a grudge against Karen, and when I was four I don't remember ever holding or grudge or getting mad at somebody for lengthy periods of time at all. I never really thought much about Andrew's age, but this board makes me think about stuff like that
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 16, 2008 17:53:01 GMT -5
^ I held some strong grudges at ages even younger than 4. ;D I think I've actually gotten better about that over time (I'm working on it, at least.... ;D)
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Post by greer on Jan 16, 2008 17:58:48 GMT -5
in my experience it's harder to hold grudges against your siblings at that age. one minute you're punching each other, the next you're playing together peacefully
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msstock87
Sitting For The Braddocks
Here Comes The Bride!
Created by Rie.
Posts: 3,618
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Post by msstock87 on Jan 16, 2008 20:11:38 GMT -5
That is how my sister and I were at that age, we would fight one minute then be playing together the next like nothing happened.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 16, 2008 20:42:07 GMT -5
^ I don't have siblings, so that's probably why it's different for me. With my ability to hold grudges and my other "issues" like that, it's probably a good thing I was an only child. ;D
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Post by greer on Jan 16, 2008 21:21:12 GMT -5
Maybe it's just a difference between only children and children with siblings. My boyfriend is an only child and always lived at home (russians don't move out till marriage generally), and the way he deals with issues is waaay different than me, since i have three siblings and went to boarding school at 16. I think only children tend more towards "mini-adults." It's taken a lot of training on my part to get him to actually discuss problems with me instead of just contemplating on his own and coming up with a logical "solution" to the problem ;D
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 17, 2008 17:53:43 GMT -5
^ I think you're right on the mini adult thing. I've always had a much easier time dealing with adults than kids. Wish I had the same problem as your boyfriend, though, with not wanting to talk. I have the opposite where I over-analyze everything (probably thanks to being an engineer's daughter ;D) and have to talk everything out. sometimes my mom is like "let it go!" But my dad is the same way as I am. I think different people are just really different in terms of personality and I think this is the case with Andrew, though agree that sometimes he is written as older than any 4 or 5 year old.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Jan 18, 2008 17:35:02 GMT -5
OMG, I'm an only child and I was a huge grudge-holder, too. PLUS my mom has seven brothers and is able to forgive people really quickly. I wonder if there's a correlation.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 18, 2008 18:00:12 GMT -5
^ Maybe. ;D I think that more of Andrew's grudge holding was sulking to get his way. I see him doing that a lot of times. If he whines and pouts, Karen gets in trouble. My friend's little brother, who was much younger, used to do that all the time and Andrew reminds me a lot of him. He was actually very manipulative for a little kid. ;D
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Jan 18, 2008 21:33:22 GMT -5
^ I think you're right on the mini adult thing. I've always had a much easier time dealing with adults than kids. Me too . I'm an only child as well and my mom is always commenting on how I act so much older than a kid my age is supposed to act, just because I've been around adults so much growing up. I have a good amount of friends at school and am quite likeable among my peers, but I just feel more comfortable around adults than kids, they're easier to deal with. Plus, I also think only children enjoy being alone more than children with siblings, or at least have an easier time with it than most. I value my alone time more than anything .
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