Yes, it's been almost 2 years since I've been around the neighborhood. Actually I moved into the neighborhood just over 2 years ago before needing to get some real life things in order.
I'm not fully back...yet...still not where I can give my neighbors the attention I'd like to give again, but I wanted to share another parenting win with you.
In the 2 years I've been on hiatus, Teen Diva has become a senior. Not sure how that happened, but there you have it. However, she still looks & acts like a middle schooler. That part is frustrating. The acting like one. The fact that she still looks so young will serve her well later in life. But I want to get back to the actions.
Remember back when I had be HOSTAGE TAKER OF ELECTRONICS? Well that hasn't really let up. We can't trust her with her electronics - still.
* Lately, Hubsy has hidden her electronics in one of the drawers of his dresser. It was working pretty well. Then one morning, recently, I busted her with her iPod. I took it & hid it in one of my drawers. And she had a harder grounding with her phone.
* Then I woke her up one morning while she had her laptop with her. BUSTED! Took it & placed it back in Hubsy's drawer & discovered she wasn't supposed to have it. D'oh! More phone grounding.
* When she came home from school the other day, I figured out she was listening to music on something. When I asked what it was, she sighed heavily & handed over her iPod. Hmmm...
* Yesterday morning, I woke her up to having her e-reader AND her phone! Totally Busted! Not supposed to have either.
You see, she'd been rummaging through all of our things to find her stuff & sneak it back. So I hid it ALL in a place where she'd have to work to get to it.
Before I continue, I want to point out that Hubsy & I love to gross out our kids. You know...mushy/gushy sayings of love to each other, big sloppy kisses & fake make-out sessions in front of the kids. It's so much fun to see their faces, watch them twitch & contort, and then to hear the things they say! So entertaining!
Then I got an idea.
An awful idea.
I got an wonderful, awful idea!
See, I have this drawer. Most of you may have one of these. It's not a junk drawer, but instead holds...uh..."special things." You know what I'm sayin'? *wink, wink*
Some drawers hold pretty, silky, satiny, lacy things;
some drawers hold batteries & leather things;
some drawers hold "literature";
some drawers hold "action" movies;
some drawers hold any combo of the above
No matter, usually it's fun for the grownups to get that moment to rummage through those drawers.
I'm not going to say what is in my special drawer, but I told Hubsy that I plan on moving Teen Diva's electronics into that drawer. So, we she goes rummaging through our things to take back these things...I would love to see her face when she finds that drawer! It will be an glorious & hilarious day!
See? More good parenting at it's finest.
Well played!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, my dear!
DeleteSO happy to see you blogging!!! And, I agree with Not As Sweet As I Look... well played! Hope it works!
ReplyDeleteWe are having a difficult time with our Senior growing up too. She didn't want to find a job, didn't want to learn to drive, she pretty much just wanted to sit around all the time and read fan fiction on her computer. She has "big plans" to become a child psychologist, and go to Fresno Pacific University... but no plans on how to make that a reality. Her dad (along with my estranged parents) encouraged her not to get a license or a job, that she could worry about all that when she moved back to CA and in with her dad (because that's what EVERY 18 year old, recently graduated from high school wants to do...move in with a parent).
So I asked her how she planned on getting transportation, paying for gas to drive to college (45 miles from where her dad lives), plus pay for classes... and her answer was, "I dunno, dad said he'd help." I asked her to define "help". She replied he'd pay for some, possibly half, of her tuition. I reminded her the school she wants to go to is about $30k per year and there's no way her dad could pay for half. She just shrugged.
She finally has a job, due to my nagging, but no license yet. She's putting away her money, but it's not enough. Arizona State University opened up a satellite college here in Havasu, and they are charging $6,000 PER YEAR for locals for college. And, in most cases, they are giving the local students with good grades $6k grants... so students here are getting a free education!! I reminded her of that, but she's not interested. Because she knows I will require her to grow up and take on the responsibility of adulthood... find an apartment or pay rent here. She'll have to get her own food, and pay her own bills. And "daddy" won't make her do that.
Instead, she still spends days reading fan fiction despite my telling her not to do that. I've taken her to the library to check books out to study for her SAT and to research the field she wants to be in. She checked them out, but continues to read her fan fiction. Despite numerous serious talks, I finally told her "I give up. I don't give up on YOU, but at 17 &1/2 I give up on trying to impress upon you the responsible path in life. You know what that is, but you refuse to work for it or go down that path. So these decisions are on you, not me."
It's hard and frustrating watching them not make more responsible choices. I'm sorry you are going through a difficult time. I do like the humorous way you're handling it though! That's awesome! LOL
Christine! I am so happy to hear from you! Thank you for sharing...I have emailed you back.
DeleteI have missed you, my friend!