Thursday, December 18, 2008

Walked into Disaster and other Tales re: coming home from Work

It was an innocent question. "Are those new socks?"
It was an untruthful answer. "Yes."
"They don't look like new socks. They look dirty. Are they new socks?"
"No."
"So, you lied."
"Yes."
"No TV and no computer. We do not tolerate lying in this house."
That was Tuesday.
Today, Thursday, I call the kids. They have been let out early because of the upcoming snow storm.
"What are you doing?"
"Watching a movie."
"You were told no computer and no TV."
"But a movie isn't TV."
"What? How do you watch the movie?"
"With the DVD player."
I give her a 1/2 inch for imagination.

"No. Turn it off. You were told no TV and no computer."
"Dad!"
"No. Listen to me. Turn it off. Now."
"But Dad I "
"No. Listen to me. I'm not going to argue with you."
"But I'm bored."

I NEVER told my parents I was bored when I was growing up. NEVER. Did you? I didn't think so...

"Bored?" I repeat. "Do you have the dishwasher emptied?"
"No."
"Then you're not bored. Go do that."
"But Dad."
"No."
"Dad I..."
"No. Turn it off."
"Can I talk?"
"No. I'm done talking to you about it."

I leave work. My wife calls me on my cell. "I'm out and about. Do you want me to pick up sandwiches at Wendy's for supper?"

"Whatever. I can make something when I get home." More husband-wife chatter until I say, "Did Megan tell you she was watching a movie?"
"No."
More chatter. Hang up. A couple of minutes later, she calls back. "The pop in the garage fridge is frozen."
"Ok."

I get home and a can of Diet Pepsi has exploded. There is frozen pop every where inside. I open the door to the house and nearly stumble over their pile of boots on the rug. I usher the kids outside to help me. The shelves, I tell them, need to go downstairs to the bathroom shower so they can thaw.

My wife comes home. I'm kneeling with a bucket of water and a towel, wiping out the fridge. "Did one explode?" she asks.

Later, I go inside, we sit down for supper (Wendy's) and almost immediately after grace, I look at my daughter. I say, "I want to bring this up. You were told no PC and no TV." I went on to talk about listening when being told something. I said "As long as you live in this house, you will live under our rules. When you're in college, do what you want, but in this house, if you are told to do something, you do it." It wasn't only the disobedience on the phone - there were other poor choices. Among the topics discussed at supper:
unhealthy snacks
not studying for a test tomorrow
not finishing putting away the dishes from the dishwasher.
Both kids made poor choices. It was very frustrating.

There was an ultimatum laid out tonight. We are giving the kids through January to get their act together. If they don't have their act together, we will find an after school daycare for them. They need to make better choices.

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