I want just what you painted on me last time...

How do YOU answer this one---I get it so often, last night it was from kids from Texas that I see every holiday season ONLY---but it happens way too often. I don't want them to feel less than special, but there are way to many faces between them to try and remember...any good answers you use?

oh my I used to get this when I waited tables. I would say something like 'Do you know how many orders I've taken since I took your order last time?!?!' and that would probably be my response to this... "You are very special to me, but do you know how many faces I've painted since last time I saw you?!?!?"

I'd just return it with..."was it a butterfly?" or "were you a dragon?" and then they'll have to answer you with what it really was and THEN you can say, even if it's fudging, "Oh yes, now I remember."

D.

I tried that last night, Denise--got the "don't you remember" comment & hurt look...

(I got this one time in an event line only a week after a little boy's birthday, and even the mom was frustrated that I didn't remember...)

Think SweetHaven's "You are very special to me, but do you know how many faces I've painted since last time I saw you?!?!?" is perfect!

Either that or explain I am in the beginning stages of dementia...

That's a little weird actually. I could see if it was your family members or neighbors where you would associate a name with the face but to expect a service person to remember a random design is like expecting a waitress to remember a food order from the year before.

Sound like you handled it well. My daughter had kind of a weird experience this weekend with a mad mom. We were down to the end of the line and Emma had cleaned up her glitter stuff so I asked her to sponge out the rest of my line. When she got to the end she asked the mom "What design would she like" and the mom said "She knows what she wants!" and literally stomped off angry and left her daughter (about eight) to get her face done.

When Emma was telling me this later I said "Did she not like the mask because the little girl was thrilled with it?" and Emma said "No, she was mad before we even painted." We couldn't quite figure out what ticked her off. We often ask the parent what the child wants because they freeze when they get to the chair or change their minds about 5 times.

Sometimes you just never know what they are thinking.

D.

Interesting...parents baffle me sometimes...(like when I look in the mirror and ask myself, what were you thinking...)

Yeah, I get that... I want what you painted on me last time! So I just be silly and will say things like... to a boy, Oh yes, you were the pink princess with all the glitter... they usualy cry NO I WAS A TIGER! or something.

And you know what... sometimes I DO remember...

I LOVE it Shannon! Thanks! You always make me laugh!

I almost NEVER remember things like that, and yes....I get that all the time! I like the 'your special but I've been pretty busy' line! For some reason most of the time that I get this it's at bar/bat mitzvahs! Go figure!

Shannon, that is a great response! I love being a little silly and that's a fun way to defuse their expectations. Even if you then have to admit that you don't remember, you've put them in a different mood so hurt feelings are less likely.

A couple times I've had a parent with a sense of humour (always the dad for some reason) who will come around and look at what I'm doing and say something like, "Oh I didn't know you wanted to be a (insert gender/polar opposite of what I'm painting)." The kid has a conniption but it's all fun!

Fabtastic,
You just reminded me of one dad that had everyone in line laughing. His two sweet little girls wanted to be matching pink & purple glitter kitty cats complete with ribbon in the hair SO........then dad sat down and said, "Me too, make it 3 kitty cats!". What made it even more funny was the he was in full bikers leathers, long beard , covered in tattoos and a very big man (real Hells Angel's look) his girls were mortified , then they all started to get the giggles as I finished his glittery hair ribbon. Well done Dad!!

LOL! I had a dad who took a matching princess crown for his daughter! Dad's will do anything for their little girls