I'm about to utter something that every person utters at some point of their lives. "What's wrong with kids these days?"
Children, mostly teenagers, will forever push the envelope on their parents' authority. When those same children sulk and punish their parents by shutting them out of their lives, you have to wonder "Didn't they know to expect to be reined in?"
Parents who abdicate their role as parent and let their children decide the rules give the rest of us a bad rep. Our children don't understand when we say No because some of their friends can have anything they want.
Recently my husband went to drive carpool home after a church event. One of our daughters told him that she and a friend wanted to walk to the coffee shop and wait for the other girl's mother to pick her up there. When he said no, guess what her response was. Yep. Sulking. It's the same response every time her father, or me, tells her no. Which seems to be happening more and more frequently.
I know I shouldn't take it personally. But having your daughter give you a continual cold shoulder gets a tad old. Being the parent of teenagers, especially teenage girls, is one of the most emotionally demeaning occupations on the face of this earth.
Sunday
4 weeks ago
Teenage sons can be worse, trust me... I am often left wondering where I went wrong, and know that earlier I was a good parent. Now I just scream like a harridan and harpy...
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with you.
We don't have the continual cold shoulder giver, our's is the arguer. Tell her no and she will argue with you until you either want to choke her or yourself. But why? AAAAAGH
ReplyDeleteI personally think it's the sense of "entitlement" that is pounded into them thru the media- kids of all ages seem to think they have the "right" do to whatever they feel like & shouldn't have to answer anyone- boundries & limitations are deemed as "stiffling to individuality":-S
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I am near the end of this particular roller coaster ride, & I have the white hair to prove it. By the third one, I developed a pretty thick skin, & he's figured out that the pouting only gets him more chores or less privileges :-P
I am sorry that you are going through this. I don't have to do it, since my son is in a nursing facility and would not know how to. But I give you kudos for keeping your cool about it. She isn't winning the argument if you do
ReplyDeleteHa!! Mmmm...sulking. One of my favorite pasttimes. hhahahahha. I would have driven you and Tracie crazy as I argued, then sulked, then argued some more, then sulked... and believe me, media wasn't an issue since we only got one tv station and it wasn't very clear. Gosh, I can't imagine three girls with one awful puberty after another. Whew! Just think, by the time the youngest gets through puberty you'll be in the throes of menopause. Good times.
ReplyDeleteI too, have the pouty, sulky teenage daughter. I put my foot down though. No sulking allowed. If she wants to sulk she has to go to her room and do it where no one else gets affected by it.
ReplyDelete