** German Chat ** Alle sind willkommen. ** Frühling läßt sein blaues Band ...

[MmeLindt]

...
Wieder flattern durch die Lüfte
Süße, wohlbekannte Düfte
Streifen ahnungsvoll das Land
Veilchen träumen schon,
Wollen balde kommen
Horch, von fern ein leiser Harfenton!
Frühling, ja du bist's!
Dich hab ich vernommen!

*

Für Deutsche und nicht-Deutsche, Goethe-fans und Gottschalk-fans, für Herzschmerz, Heimweh und Heimatgefühle.

Alle sind willkommen.

It does seem that when these things happen that the perpetrator often spends a lot of time playing with computer games. They are very life-like, as Admylin said.

Then you hear of so many people buying Wii and Playstation for young children. My DB has one for his DSS and he is only 7yo. Ok, no violent games but what is wrong with going to the park and playing a game. Why "play" tennis at home on the Wii? Go to a park, play real tennis. Go the bowling, eat shite food and play real bowling.

New Scientist had an article about 2 years ago summerizing research into the effect of violent computer games on children. I can't find it. I distinctly remember the editorial of that issue saying that there is an amazing discrepancy between the findings of study after study and the public opinion regarding computer games. Which is pretty much "I occassionally play some computer games and I'm no mass murderer, those scientist talk nonsense".
I wish I could find that article. It certainly made me quite determined to try and prevent my children playing violent computer games.

That is interesting, Gracelo. It does seem like a no-brainer, however much the players of such games protest.

I think a lot of the it-hasn't-done-me-any-harm people don't really know what kind of games we are talking about and how much some children are playing. Also, computer graphics have come a long way with regards to how real they look.
There is also plenty of developmental upheavel going on in a teenage brain which will make a huge difference to how gaming effects them in contrast to adults.

hi gracelo. Yes, I agree with you both, have no intention of ever buying my dd any of those games. My answer to those who think they have not suffered any harm through playing those games so why should their dc not play them, would be: but what GOOD have they done you?

At times I wonder where our society as a whole is going wrong. I mean when you think about it, people have fewer dc, have more money to spend on those they have, we play more with our dc, try to spend "quality time" with them. Nowadays we are quite protective, even perhaps overprotective of our dc and sometimes I think dp (including me) pander to them too much in a way that was not common when I was growing up.

We just trotted around after mum wherever she went and were expected to deal with it. So if she was off playing tennis in a club, we were roaming the club grounds; if she visited a friend, we played with that friend's dc etc. It was not a child-centered existence although nice enough.

Then you read about the increasingly drastic forms of youth violence, how much lower literacy and general academic standards are etc cf to 10 years ago which were lower than 30 years ago etc. Seems it is all going seriously wrong to me.

Yes, it is quite baffling how we seem to focus so much on our children these days and how unhappy many of them seem to have become.
I was following the discussions about the shooting on a German parenting board for a while but it has become very nasty there, so I flounced. Maybe it's all too fresh and raw at the moment for a reasoned debate but a reasoned debate is what we desperately need.

dd starts school in August and I'm actually quite worried when I look at the literacy and numeracy scores for Scotland. I just can't imagine not being able to read properly and easily.

In what way did it become nasty gracelo? Very sad the whole thing.

People got very personal, started to bring up old disagreements, others jumped in, took sides. Some posters used unfortunate phrases and were accused of revelling in the disaster. In most cases I think they were just really lost for words and things came across in a wrong way.
It also made me realize that (many) Germans are very bad at letting things go, they always have to answer back. "Das letzte Wort haben" I can't stand that and I really hope I don't do it.

That is sad, Gracelo. I think most Germans are just overwhelmed by the shootings and don't know what to do to prevent it happening again. I must ask my teacher friends if their school has an amok plan as this school seems to have had. Certainly the swift arrival of the police prevented even more deaths.

My DC are sitting on the bed singing in French

Thank god for the innocence of childhood.

Just bumping so I can still keep up with german life after i have been away this weekend (nowhere interesting though!) Hope everyone is well.

hi everyone. I am 99% certain that DS2 has hand foot and mouth. I bet he caught it at the Kinderartz last week when he had his U6. Great.

DS1 had a spot by his nose this morning but I'm now wondering if he's got it now. Anyone know what it is called in Germany? Would it just be Hand, Fuß ind Mund?

God i'm annoyed.

Hand-fuß-Mund Krankheit I think. I also hate going to the Kinderarzt - waiting rooms are THE place to catch things. I usualyl sit with my hand over my mouth trying not to breath in too deeply!

Well, listen to where trying to be good and not going on the internet all morning got me: cleaned all the floors then decided to open all the doors and windows to let some fresh air in - the blimmin caretaker walked past with his stupid blowing machine and sent dust flying through my entire home OK so I closed everything and started on the kitchen. Hate doing kitchen especially since h still hasn't got round to buying me a dish washer. Started to put beer bottles in the fridge, lined up neatly on a shelf and one slipped out of my hand, hit the tiles and started to spray froth everywhere - into the fridge, all over the floor - all over me. I have given up now, threw tea towels on the puddle of frothy beer and am back online, it's safer but our kitchen smells like a brewery.

You´re right it´s Hand-Fuss-Mund Krankheit. Both of mine have had it. Dd was quite ill, but ds didn´t seem to be that badly affected. Lots of yoghurt and ice cream helped when their mouths were really painful. I´m not sure if a spot near the nose has anything to with it though. Hope they´re feeling better soon.

admylin -definitely forget the housework - it´s much better to spend the morning on the computer. Less chance of anything going wrong, unless you manage to tip coffee over the keyboard.

yes a spot near the nose isn't the right place. Just tipped DS2 upside down to get him to open his mouth (stubborn baby) and there is one on his tongue. Kindergarten havent called me yet so here's hoping DS1 doesn't get it. He is a needy patient when ill!

I'm not going to sit in the Kinderartzin's office for 1 1/2 hours for a late appointment. Just dig out the Calpol and yoghurt.

Have you also noticedd that the dc usually get ill on Friday or at the weekend? Any then you hang on until Monday morning and have to sit for ages to see the doctor. I still haven't found a Kinderarzt in Hannover.

I might try again and venture into the kitchen, I was lazy yesterday too and just gave the dc pizza for their evening meal. If I produce a cake or a pie of somesort every now and then the whole family thinks I'm really good in the kitchen so I can't complain I suppose!

LOL admylin. I agree with your tactic of staying away from dangerous housework.

Wasting time at the moment until it is time to meet my friends for lunch. Sitting drinking coffee in the sun. It a hard life.

Just got a funny look from the spotty yoof behind the cashiers desk in the shoe shop for calling him sweetie. I was talking to the dog but he could not see her. He looked a bit panicked.

Good morning,

Just taking a break while I try and catch up with housework, after having had a cold all week and feeling lazy! (I so miss DH being here to say things like-go to bed and I will tidy up! It is not the same sending myself to bed and the dishes still being there in the morning!)

Had an interesting discussion yesterday with my German friend. She speaks really good English and finds it comes naturally to speak it to her children, often in public. (Oldest DD is 3 and understands, but doesn't speak much). She has found it surprising and scary how nasty people are about her when they think she is English. As my German is still fairly basic, it probably goes over my head! Is there still such a prejudice against 'foreigners' in your opinion or has she just been unlucky? I can understand it to an extent where there are so many British Army personnel here who refuse to learn the language. Is that the general attitude in the rest of Germany? I think what really shocked her was that some of the comments came form teens who she thought would be more open/think English is cool etc.

Anyway must get back to my housework! Hope you are all well-it is a beautiful morning here. Spring is on the way!

Can you send a bit of that spring weather down here, trockodile.

I can't say that I've noticed any overt hostility towards me for being English. What I do tend to find is that people like to trot out all the usual stereotypes about England eg it rains all the time, the food is crap, it's very conservative and traditional. Depending on my mood or on who says it, I either nod in agreement or get very defensive.

I have never had any bad experiences when speaking English. Occasionally I have had people think that I am German and being really poncy by speaking to my children in English. I get the odd silly comment about that until I explain that I am actually Scottish.

I have just made Brioche for the first time, it looked very impressive as it ballooned in the oven. I was a bit concerned that it would stick to the top of the oven. Half of it is gone already and we will take the rest for the picnic.

We are off to Yvoire today. Never been there yet, so am interested to see what it is like.

What is the weather like? It is beautiful here.

Admylin
You should go up to Steinhudermeer just north of H. You can eat some aal [boak] and have coffee by the lake.

That looks lovely Mme Lindt, hope you have a great time. The brioche sounds gorgeous aswell.

I´ve never had any negative reactions to speaking English, in fact most people view it really positively. I do have a friend who is Romanian and she gets a lot more disapproval for not speaking German with her children. I think some languages are valued more highly here than others - so English, French and Spanish are looked upon more favourably than other less widely spoken languages.

Does anyone know if a film has a fsk ab 6 Jahre is that just a recommendation or must the children be that old? I wanted to take the dc to see Bolt tomorrow, but ds is only 4 and would never pass for 6, but I can´t imagine there would be anything in the film that would upset/frighten him.

Its good to know there is not wide spread condemnation that I am missing! I do find most people are ok, and very approving when DS speaks to them. Perhaps my friend was just just unlucky recently.

I took DS to see Bolt when we were in the UK recently. He was not scared (3.9 years) but it was very confusing and I have no idea how much he understood! Some of it is very funny and he sat rapt throughout! He is ok with movies though, has not seen many but has seen Prince Caspian, early Harry Potters and is fine with these.

BTW in UK it is rated PG.

It's so warm here today, hope it stays this way. I wonder how TheGAbster is doing. She must be settling back in UK life! Ernest hasn't been around for ages either.

Did you all do anything nice at the weekend? I got my dates mixed up - thought it was open day at a nearby school yesterday but I got the week wrong so as we were all up and ready we went into town and the Marktschreier were there on tour. A bit like the Hamburger Fischmarkt style of selling. It was OK to watch but I doubt the quality of the goods would be very good. The dc got some sweets from a sweet stall but they were all yuk so we threw them away.

Evening all.

Like the new thread title - and welcome Newbies.

Sorry, keep it short & sweet as dead busy (as you can imagine). Just thought I would report back that arrived safely in blighty. Plane journey was not too bad - DS decided to stop being sick the day before luckily. I have been sick as a pig since though - nasty flu thing. Ho well.

Dead warm here so that's a nice welcome. What's it like there now?

The new rental house was a bit of a downer - I've had cleaner dustbins. Still, it is easier to negotiate these things in the old mother tongue.

Will report back when I have more time.

Gabster