My kids used to like when I give them the pick and let them bang on the strings while I frett notes on the neck. I guess it makes it easy on them as they can pluck any string or strum all of them and it actually sounds like they are doing something. I've got vids of all three of my kids (when younger) on three differen't guitars at the same time making beautiful noise. Literally noise but I loved it.

Good luck with the kid. I can think of no solution to the "no" bit except to just ignore it. Hopefully your guitar playing will be the bonding agent that provides a fun relationship for you and the little screamer.

Good Luck Xark!

We shall see... Never had one like this myself, so I don't have a solution either, except to do what we're doing and give him no choice. I'm sure it will be fine as he'll have to realize in a day or two that mom just isn't there to run to. Hopefully, I know some songs that he's not going to have issues with. He has mom & dad change the CD or the station if something comes on that he doesn't like. He may be small, but he's already developed his opinions!

I have a granddaughtrer 14 months now and when she stays she is totally focused on the GM (Grand Mother) and when she can't find her she will cry. I take my Nylon guitar and try to find a rhythm to her bitching it's kind of like punk meets folk, sometimes it makes her mad when she figures out something is going on but I get a kick out of it so at least one of us is happy.

I've got the guitar, mini bongos, an Irish whistle, a shaker and some claves. Should be enough to get him involved. If he stops screaming long enough to listen.

I actually don't expect it will be that bad. He's going to be upset that mom is nowhere to be seen or heard. He's going to be upset that I'M the one taking care of him. (I expect he'll gravitate toward the wife at first. If he's got ANY of my genes, he's got to appreciate big boobs!)

Whatever happens, he'll live. Hell, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

It's not the Grandson we're worried about :{)

My son was like that with his great grandmother (my grandmother) when he was a baby. There was no explanation for it. She was the sweetest lady there could be. He didn't cry or scream but he just wouldn't have anything to do with her despite her attempts to hold him or kiss him. Then one day, it changed and he liked going to her house to play with the toys she had there and what-not. He is 6 and a half now and she died 5 days before this last Christmas and he says that he misses her at least once per week. So, you see? Things change as they get older.

Sounds like the friends episode where Ben cries as soon as he's in the proximity of Monica lol

There are many reasons why a young kid wouldn't like someone, starting with visual features. As cognitive skills develop, such dislikes can be overcome.

yea and i could give you first hand acount since im still a kid lol. all kids are scared or dont like atleast one relative. i pretty much feared any adult taller than me, so in other words: all adults. but that feeling doesnt stay for long. wheres off as you get to kno the person

Judging from an old pic I saw once, Xark is tall thin and, well, not vary hairy at the top. A shiny bald head is enough reason to scare a baby.

Well, I can't say what it was that had him going, but he didn't scream at me at all. (I didn't shave my head coming up to this visit and actually had a little hair, but I doubt that's what it is.) He doesn't seem to like my hat very much though and would make me take it off immediately upon entering a building. When I'd do something out of the ordinary, it was also an issue with him. Not that much out either. If I'd hide under a table, he'd get upset. Blowing raspberries wasn't appreciated as well.

Anyway, we drove him home to Rifle, CO. About 3 1/2, hours and he was wonderful. I expected him to sleep, but he didn't. As soon as he was home, it was like everything was fine. He showed me how to play a DVD. (Knew exactly where the one he wanted was.) I didn't know how they'd set up their sound, but he pointed me to the right buttons. Amazing vocabulary for a 20 month old too. A lot of it I couldn't understand and if I told him that he'd repeat it slower. Not that that made much difference either, but if I still didn't get it, he'd show me.

He also taught me a new song on the guitar. Seems he has a favorite, "Bad, Bad Things." I think it's by Chris Isley, but not sure. Simple blues riff. I didn't have to play more than two beats and he'd look right at me and say, "Bad, Bad Things!" Then, of course, he'd sing along. Dance too!

All in all it was pretty decent. Asked for mama the first morning when he woke up. Following mornings he asked, "Watch Barney?" "Watch Elmo?" He was a complete pleasure. And the wife changed all the diapers! BONUS!!

He had a gymnastics class to go to one morning, so I got the pleasure of taking him. (His mom pretty much runs the gym. It was a run down hole in the wall when they moved to Rifle, but she's changed things over the past few years and has already gotten them a state championship.) After the class the instructor came up to me and said, "She's going to kill me for telling you this, but James, (don't think I've mentioned his name up to this point,) has never been so well behaved in this class before."

When we brought him home, his only issue was my dog. I have a rather large Irish Setter, 29" at the shoulder, and he's really friendly, though also really gentle. A new little pack member was more than he could ignore and it scared the crap out of my grandson. We showed him that he could tell the "woof" what to do. (My dog is very well trained. To the point where you can take a bone from him while he's working on it and he'll only look at you with a "Hey, I was chewing that! Am I going to get it back?" kind of look.) So for the next hour we heard "SIT WOOF" and "STAY WOOF" and "DOWN WOOF" while the kid bossed the "woof" around. (No chance of him actually saying the dogs name, CuRuadh.) About an hour later he walks into the kitchen and the dog is in the mudroom lying on his pillow. The grandson took a stern look at him and yelled, "NO WOOF!" I guess it was just for good measure.

So other than my daughter's mother having a complete fit that I was taking care of the grandson and not her, throwing more of a tantrum that I wouldn't just drop him off to her over the weekend, (she's not permitted unsupervised time with the kid, and I refuse to be in the same room with her,) and then threatening to be the bitch of the universe and ruining my daughter's return home, (believe me this woman could turn Robin Williams into a quivering mass of depression in seconds,) a good time was had by all.

As far as the guitar goes? My fingers are a bit tender. It's been about 4-5 months since I've done any serious playing, so it's going to take a bit to get back to form.

Welcome back Xark, you missed some good ones and we missed a good one too, welcome back

Thanks man. I don't mind traveling much, but I ALWAYS love coming home!

Funny thing. Wife asked me if I'd taken the kid out to the studio, and I never did! Not that we were home all that long before dropping him off, but it completely slipped my mind. I'll be seeing him again this weekend, daughter's birthday, and my father is coming in from North Carolina as well. (Meaning a half day Friday and a day off Monday too!) Should be able to show him the studio then. Not that he'll appreciate it, but having stuff to bang on and make noise with is something a little kid usually goes for.

That turned out to be too easy, heheh... Xark, I think you broke him! lol