Talking to the Wall

I think as parents we often say things that we really don’t expect to be heard. While our mouths are saying, “We are not going to have this argument tonight” our minds are answering us, “Yeah, right! Of course we’re going to have an argument.” Or when we give a directive, we don’t really expect a response -- because, truthfully, I get better responses from walls than I do my children most of the time.

Last night we got home from confirmation/bell practice/swimming pool at 8:45 and I said we were all going to go to bed early because I had an IEP meeting in the morning. I told everyone to either hop in bed or in the shower (depending on if they were morning or nighttime shower people). The girls got in a little fight and the oldest started to go down the “I’m 12 so I’m snippy and you’re stupid” road and I said, “You know what, we’re not going to do this. You have 7 minutes to be in bed with the light out and I don’t want to hear another word.” SHE WENT TO BED! I really thought I’d faint.

Then Tony, who resists bed like the plague, was dinking around and I said “You have twelve minutes to get showered and in bed and if I see you after that I'm taking your radio.” Now, the response I totally expected him to have was to take a shower, go to his room, and then come out 15 times until my blood sugar and blood pressure hit alarming new highs, I would then have to follow through and take the radio, and he would then scream until 10:30 keeping everyone awake. BUT HE DIDN’T. He went to bed. By 9:15 everyone was in bed and by 9:35, the house was quiet.

wonders never cease...