The joys of parenting
Let me preface this by saying that my 18-year old daughter (19 in August) is incredibly helpful. She really saves me a lot of effort, esp. by going to the grocery store. But she can also really be a twat. When she's in her room, she absolutely wants to be left alone. Period. But of course there have been times when she calls Mom for help, like the other day when a large moth was in her room, and she could hear it when she turned off the light. (Quick digression for those who've known me a long time: I killed a big cockroach by myself the other night at 3:30 a.m. and didn't freak out until afterward.) And I did manage to save the kid from the moth. But she truly does not want to be interrupted in her room ever unless she's asked me to do something for her, like make her an apple w/ peanut butter. When it's room service, it's ok.
So this morning, I had a really sore spot behind my shoulder, and the other kid was still asleep or I'd have asked him, but I asked Her Majesty. She did it but was incredibly bitchy about it because she "was in the middle of something." I pointed out to her that when she calls me to rescue her from a moth or rub lotion on her back (dry skin), I'm in the middle of something too, but I do it b/c I love her and care about her. That concept seemed to fly right over her head. She asked me why I was still bitching when after all she had done what I asked, and I noted that she was the one who was bitching. And she yelled "Because I was in the middle of something!" I said one more time that I come to help her when I'm in the middle of something, and she said I didn't have to come. (Like I'm going to ignore a panicking kid, however "grownup," with a bug in her room.) So, in response to her "you don't have to come," I said "But I will do it b/c I love you." And she said, "Well, I won't always do it." I shrugged and said "Well, I will keep doing it anyway b/c I love you and I think it's the right thing to do." Exit Mom.
*sigh*
So this morning, I had a really sore spot behind my shoulder, and the other kid was still asleep or I'd have asked him, but I asked Her Majesty. She did it but was incredibly bitchy about it because she "was in the middle of something." I pointed out to her that when she calls me to rescue her from a moth or rub lotion on her back (dry skin), I'm in the middle of something too, but I do it b/c I love her and care about her. That concept seemed to fly right over her head. She asked me why I was still bitching when after all she had done what I asked, and I noted that she was the one who was bitching. And she yelled "Because I was in the middle of something!" I said one more time that I come to help her when I'm in the middle of something, and she said I didn't have to come. (Like I'm going to ignore a panicking kid, however "grownup," with a bug in her room.) So, in response to her "you don't have to come," I said "But I will do it b/c I love you." And she said, "Well, I won't always do it." I shrugged and said "Well, I will keep doing it anyway b/c I love you and I think it's the right thing to do." Exit Mom.
*sigh*