One Way My Daughter Drives Me Crazy Is ...
... that she is an absolute slob. I shudder to think about what lies ahead in her teens if she continues on in this slovenly way, which I can't see stopping anytime soon. She is forever dropping things, tearing things, throwing things, losing things (under piles of junk she has created herself), and generally causing me quite alot of stress on a daily basis.
Today, for example, I was picking her up from my brother-in-law's, who was watching her for me after school until I finished work. I get there, and she's sitting/standing on the couch with a plate full of barely-touched macaroni and cheese beside her. She stood in front of it, and as usual, the plate was right at the edge of the couch and on a slant, and just as I was thinking it, the inevitable happened and macaroni and cheese went all over the carpet.
This is not a new phenomenon. Whenever my daughter is in the vicinity of any plate, cup, glass, dish, bowl ... it is pretty much a given that left unsupervised, whatever is in said plate, cup, glass, dish, or bowl will end up on the couch, floor, chair, or her clothes.
I stopped by my mother's to show her the rental car I'm driving and while my daughter was in the garden, she got a plastic shovel and started digging up the garden and putting the soil in a bag. Dark black soil was all over my mother's Grecian bench, and my daughter's face and hands.
Her room is a blog in itself. My daughter is also a clotheshound and loves trying on different outfits, several times a day. As soon as she gets in the door, her shoes and socks are off, on the table, floor, wherever they land, and she lounges around in her underwear for awhile until she's ready to start checking out her wardrobe. The drawers in her bureau are always half stuck out, with crumpled clothes sticking out of them, items of clothing are always all over the floor, and I can't even see half of the blanket on her bed.
I don't know how many times I've yelled, cajoled, bribed, had a meltdown about these things. I'm constantly going around after her picking up after her like a mere minion. One of my regular things to say to her is, "What do you think I am, your slave?" Her answer: "Yes!"
Ahhhhhh, kids .....
Today, for example, I was picking her up from my brother-in-law's, who was watching her for me after school until I finished work. I get there, and she's sitting/standing on the couch with a plate full of barely-touched macaroni and cheese beside her. She stood in front of it, and as usual, the plate was right at the edge of the couch and on a slant, and just as I was thinking it, the inevitable happened and macaroni and cheese went all over the carpet.
This is not a new phenomenon. Whenever my daughter is in the vicinity of any plate, cup, glass, dish, bowl ... it is pretty much a given that left unsupervised, whatever is in said plate, cup, glass, dish, or bowl will end up on the couch, floor, chair, or her clothes.
I stopped by my mother's to show her the rental car I'm driving and while my daughter was in the garden, she got a plastic shovel and started digging up the garden and putting the soil in a bag. Dark black soil was all over my mother's Grecian bench, and my daughter's face and hands.
Her room is a blog in itself. My daughter is also a clotheshound and loves trying on different outfits, several times a day. As soon as she gets in the door, her shoes and socks are off, on the table, floor, wherever they land, and she lounges around in her underwear for awhile until she's ready to start checking out her wardrobe. The drawers in her bureau are always half stuck out, with crumpled clothes sticking out of them, items of clothing are always all over the floor, and I can't even see half of the blanket on her bed.
I don't know how many times I've yelled, cajoled, bribed, had a meltdown about these things. I'm constantly going around after her picking up after her like a mere minion. One of my regular things to say to her is, "What do you think I am, your slave?" Her answer: "Yes!"
Ahhhhhh, kids .....
posted by emily pound at 3:23 PM
5 Comments:
I can totally relate :) I found your blog by clicking the little magical button on the right that says "Next Blog" I've been lurking and reading for months now. I have alot in common with you and really enjoy your writing. I'm also a single mom, but I have 3 girls! Let me tell ya...it doesn't get any easier as they get older. In fact, my advice to you would be to take the hard road with her right now while she's still young and you're able to control her because it will only get 1000 x's worse the older she gets. Believe me I know...lol...surf over and take a look at my blog, start at the beginning for a little piece of the story of the hell my oldest daughter put me through for almost a year when she was in a lot of trouble. I'm sure your little girl is lovely and like me, you probably let her get away with too much out of guilt that her father isn't there for her like he should be. I did that for a long time, and I regret it with every breath I take now. Thankfully things have gotten much better with all my girls in the last 9 months or so. I have an amazing man who loves all of us and is also pretty strict with the kids...at first they didn't like it, but now they are thriving and their behavior has improved so much and I owe it all to disciple...believe it or not, kids want that structure. Anyway, good luck getting her shaped up...all 3 of mine were total pigs before. It can be done, they are 100% better now...it may be tough for you to take a hard nose approach with her, but you will not regret it in the long run. Take Care and keep posting I really enjoy your blog!
Hi Andrea! Thanks for lurking and reading :-) I'm glad you enjoy my blog.
I will definitely go check out your blog and your advice sounds right on the money. My daughter basically has me wrapped around her little finger, much as I hate to say it, and I know I probably should have put my foot much firmer a long time ago ... but still, I hope she's still young enough to mould at least a little bit, as far as her sloppiness goes for sure
Glad you posted! Welcome!
Hi Jennie,
It is so funny ... when I lived at home I always thought my mother was the most anal, compulsively clean person on the planet. When I moved out and into my own places, I found myself acting just like her, freaking out whenever I saw the slightest mishap or thing out of place. You can imagine how I react when I see the disasters my daughter creates! It's funny ... we do end up becoming our parents, no matter how much we think we won't.
Wait till she meets a guy. Things will change then!
OMG Ian ... can you say, "medication time?" Gimme lots of it.
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