I can't stand the dispersed focus between trying to keep an eye on the kids and having conversations with parents. Stop. Talking. To. Me. Baaaaaaack away. (Parking lots and bathrooms rock). So I generally abandon parents and go dive in with the kids. Bonus: "cool parent" award (Which always makes me kind of snicker. Ah-ite. Like this isn't me running off my own adrenaline. Cha.) . Also, generally a few other parents just need "someone" to take their shoes off and go down the slides (or running in fountains, circling the rink, whatever) to join in. And then they're sorted / one less person I need to do more than wink or grin at in passing / they're officially on "my" team in herding cats.
Kids 12ish & under
- They move more. Hallelujah. I HATE sitting still.
- They don't expect you to interact with them for more than a second or 2
- They like being talked to like grownups
- Growling and pretending to eat them is something they enjoy
- Once you've got a mob of them glommed onto you they take orders well (Alright! Loud & fast as you can! To the other side of the ________! Go! Go! Go! ...or Shhhh! We're going to sneak!)
- They're wired to learn. Front & Follow, Bang I'm dead (car game esp), a whole little legion of useful little people for whom situational awareness is a game and high fun. And they get GOOD, fast. Sweet.
Teens & other sneaks
- I classify them all as marks and fade into the background / turn it into a game for myself. While some are off in oblivious land, others have a freaking 6th sense. My son is one, darn ADHD. (At the end of the night we tally scores. He gets a point for any time he loses me, but knows where I'm at). Regardless, the more there are, the more challenging it is to keep them all on my map. So it's good fun.
- They REALLY like being talked to like grownups.
