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This is just a venting thread for parents of teens. There are worse problems that we could be dealing with, but that doesn't make the little things less frustrating. Like Chinese water torture, they try to wear us down!
My vent:
Sunday-
HE: Mom, can I go to youth group with Pam on Wed. night?
ME: Sure, as long as you keep up with your chores. (cleaning kitchen, taking out trash)
Monday-
ME: Tommy, you need to get this kitchen done.
HE: I will.
Tuesday-
HE: So I can go tomorrow night?
ME: I don't know, the kitchen hasn't been done.
Wednesday, 7:30am-
HE via text while on the way to school: So I'm not going to youth tonight?
ME via text: No. The kitchen has not been cleaned.
HE via text: Well what if I clean it when I get home?
ME via text: No.
Why can't his determination be directed to his school work?!!!
My DD will do the same thing. I don't remind her anymore about the things she needs to get done (except feeding the cat, the poor thing might starve). She once missed out on something she was really looking forward to because she didn't clean the bathroom, even though she had 4 days to do it.
It was very hard to keep my foot down but it's the only way they are going to learn.
Just take solace that you must have done a lot right if the worst thing you have to deal with is not letting your son go to youth group because he didn't clean the kitchen.
NJ- I'm with you on that! I don't attribute it to my parenting skills as much as to having him later in life. I have a theory that old eggs = easier kids.
Now we should have a CD poll on how many more times he will ask me when I pick him up in an hour. I say three more times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skahar
They are so funny. Aren't they?
My DD will do the same thing. I don't remind her anymore about the things she needs to get done (except feeding the cat, the poor thing might starve). She once missed out on something she was really looking forward to because she didn't clean the bathroom, even though she had 4 days to do it.
It was very hard to keep my foot down but it's the only way they are going to learn.
Yes, keeping your foot down.... I think I need moms need to wear heels
My personal favorite is the middle of the day phone calls to ask questions that are so ridiculous I lose focus the rest of the day. Took away the phone for that.
I had to say good morning about 10 times this morning before I got a response. Ugh.
We do not allow that. If they try this on it is whack on the backside. They know this so they respond immediatly. The difficulty is if they may not have heard due to focussing on whatever they were doing. This means that as parents, we do not create situations where they may or may not hear us. So if they are watching TV, we don't call out from another room. As a parent, I will go into the room and walk at least closish to the TV. As soon as they see me they must look up and then I ask or say what I have to say. If they don't look up I keep walking until I am in front of the TV. Yes a bit more work on my part but no agro or yelling between rooms and no grey areas wrt to punishment.
We do not allow that. If they try this on it is whack on the backside. They know this so they respond immediatly. The difficulty is if they may not have heard due to focussing on whatever they were doing. This means that as parents, we do not create situations where they may or may not hear us. So if they are watching TV, we don't call out from another room. As a parent, I will go into the room and walk at least closish to the TV. As soon as they see me they must look up and then I ask or say what I have to say. If they don't look up I keep walking until I am in front of the TV. Yes a bit more work on my part but no agro or yelling between rooms and no grey areas wrt to punishment.
I do not need to hit my child to get him to comply with my family rules. A snippy teenager just needs a little prodding. If I repeat myself he will eventually get it.
And Spookmeister- you have to share the phone call with us.
No-he said good morning. He even thanked me for washing his lacrosse uniform in time for his game. I really don't get him. Sometimes he really is very sweet and sometimes he treats me as if I don't exist.
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