Monday, August 24, 2009

"Pete and Repeat Were in a Boat...


Pete fell out, who was left?" Whoever thought up this sick joke was either a sadist or had young children they were trying to get even with. I tend to think the latter.

I don't know about you, but having to repeat myself is a pet peeve. And being ignored? An even bigger one. Now let's combine the two and call it every freakin' day at my house. Is it selective hearing or some kind of mutual annoyance. I dictate to them, so they ignore me. Whatever it is, there has GOT to be a better way!

Why don't children (at least mine anyway) ever require less than five reminders to do/not do something? I swear I didn't stutter the first four times, so what's the deal? And unfortunately, it's for everything. From "stop hitting your sister," to "go sit at the table," to "put your toys away." You name it and I've told them at least five times to do it. Unless it involves dessert. It's so odd that they always hear me the first time. In fact, I don't even have to finish a sentence with dessert in it. Weird.

How does one combat this horrible combination of disregard and repetitiveness? Am I missing something? Even getting down to their eye level and telling them exactly what they need to do, and getting an acknowledgment, doesn't seem to work. Are they trying to make me cranky? Because it's working. And no one benefits from that. Especially not the ill-timed telemarketing call.

I know I'm not the only one, so someone please tell me your kids outgrew this by the time they were five. Okay, six. Seven? Really, they still do it? Oh, teenagers. Yeah, well, that makes sense. No one can talk to them. So what you're really telling me, is this is a lifelong problem to which there is no solution. Kind of like accuracy in weather forecasting or the sock vortex in your dryer.

I suppose this means I just need to suck it up and lather, rinse, repeat. *sigh* Just don't call me. You've been warned. :oP

5 comments:

  1. Oh man I'm glad to know that its just not my kids. Some days ... ok ok all days, I feel like I need a bullhorn just to talk to them.

    Funny how they hear the word cookies, or new toy from 3 miles away, but clean your room just isn't in their comprehension

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  2. No Holly; it never gets better. Even when they are grown and asking for advice. They nod and say right alot, but then they still do exactly what they were going to do anyway.

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  3. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, could you repeat that? Sadly, with independence comes the idea that they can do what THEY want and not what you want :(

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  4. I'm sorry but it doesn't get better...it actually gets worse as they get older...there are a few years in there where they do stuff cuz they like to make mom happy, but that doesn't last long...wait, maybe thats a few weeks...and they do it cuz they think there will be a reward afterwards...

    my 13 yr old will stand in front of, nod his head and the walk away...does he do what I asked? nope...yesterday I told him to clean his room...went to check on him an hour later and he's on his computer, room still tornato-ized...I walked over to the computer, pulled the plug out and took it...told him to clean his room or I was coming back for the tv and then the bed...he seemed to hear that...*shrugging shoulders* who knew ;oD

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  5. hahaha, cracked me up, as usual!

    I'm the 'question nazi' in our house. Gracie is allowed to ask one question up to 2 times in one conversation. Anymore than that, and I consider it excessive and she needs to wait until the next day. Seriously, her favorite thing in the world is to ask the same question over and over. I don't even get the 'but whyyyyy?' ... I just get the same question. GAH how annoying.

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