Change (Management)

I believe that change is a good thing, I also believe that sometimes if the change is big then 'change management' needs to be employed. So does my daughter. Case in point. I now have a new car - goodbye to my Red Racer and hello to my Black Beauty. The change was painless, and I am loving my new KAZZOOM.

My youngest grand-daughter at 20 months is a rev head like her Grandma - she loved my Red Racer, got excited when she saw it drive up to her house, loved driving with Grandma in it. Every red car was Grandma's car when she was out driving with her parents.

So my daughter was worried how she would cope with this change - so a few weeks ago she started talking to Immy about how Grandma was getting a new car and that the new car would be black. Last Saturday we popped over to christen my s-i-l's new bbq, and while there we again talked about Grandma's new car and how on Monday I was saying goodbye to my red car and getting my new shiny black car.

Monday morning's conversation in my daughter's house went something like this (from her blog Childhood 101)

GD: "Car"

D: "Mmmm.. a car?" (Not really sure where we are going with this yet!)

GD: "Red" (Though it sounded more like 'wed')

D: "Oh, a red car, yes, Grandma's car?" (My Mum drives a red car and Immy LOVES it)

GD: Murmers a sound that indicates she agrees, pauses then "Gone"

D: "Yes, Grandma's red car is gone." (My Mum is trading in her red car for a new one today)

GD: "Black"

D: "Yes, Grandma's new car is black." (Which it is)

GD: "BRRRROOOOOOM!" (Yes, I am sure it will be doing just that!)

So Monday afternoon after my massage I pop over to visit in my new black car. My s-i-l and grand-daughter were out and arrived home not long after I got there. I would hear sounds of excitement and my s-i-l saying yes Grandma's new car, lets go inside now, come on lets see if Grandma is here. It took a few minutes of persuasion to get her inside. My s-i-l said Immy was so excited she could hardly talk.

When I was leaving she came out to the car and wanted to get in, so my daughter opened the front passenger door and popped her on the seat. Immy looked at me and said 'GO' but given I had not put the child seat in the car yet we couldn't go anywhere and I explained this. So she played with the knobs and then looked at me again and said 'GO'. I again explained, that without car seat I couldn't take her but I would come on the weekend and we could go driving. So she looked at her Mum and said 'Sit here' and patted the seat, so my daughter got in and Immy climbed on her lap and looked at me and said 'GO'. I had to laugh, when were in Singapore she sat on her Mum's lap in the taxis and we went. Her solution was priceless.

Needless to say, we didn't GO as it would not have been safe, but I have a date on the weekend with my little rev head, and I hope to take my eldest grand-daughter for a ride at the same time.

ZOOM ZOOM