Lesson on how to build self esteem
OR
The right way to correct bad behavior:
Conversation with Z when he got home from school yesterday:
Z: Hey mom, my neck hurts!
Me: Why?
Z: I was head banging with my friends on the bus.
Me: Huh?
Z: I was the best! I did it three times. They said that I did it the best of anyone so they wanted me to do it one more time. My neck popped that last time and now it really hurts. I think my head might fall off.
Me: Hey Z, why don't you go over there and hit your head against the brick wall. I bet you'll do it the best.
Z: Mom, do you know what head banging is? It's not hitting heads against something. It's, like, listening to really loud music and shaking you head really hard.
Me: Yea, I know what it is. Druggies do it!(thinking to myself: Are you retarded?)
Z: Mom, I'm not retarded! and my friends aren't on drugs!
Me: Did I say that out loud?
Z: Mom, be serious here. My neck really hurts. What should I do?
Me: The next time they tell you to do something that may hurt your body, say "No thanks, I'd rather not."
Z: I'd get beat up if I talked like that. Seriously, I need you to act like the mom and tell me what I should really do.
Me: Well, I don't care how you say it, just don't do it again. Go take some Tylenol and lay down for a while.
This morning before school:
Z: Mom, I'm not going to head bang anymore.
Me: Good!
Z: Do you care if I still pop balloons?
Me: What are you talking about?
Z: Watch. I need some of your ziploc baggies though.
(Z blows up a baggie with air and them attempts to pop it.)
K: Z, stop being a dork!
Z: I'm not a dork! Why am I a dork?
K: Cuz you're doing dorky things lately!
Z: Like what?
K: Head banging and popping plastic bags!
Z: That doesn't make me a dork!
Me: The bus is here! BEHAVE!
Z: FINE!!
Me to K: (sarcastically) I think we handled that pretty well!
Poor kid! I hope the rest of his day goes better! I'm sorry that he has to be our first child. I hope he survives his parents immaturity.
5 comments:
Thanks for the good laugh this morning. Sounds like a characater, and I would of said the same thing. The joys of being a mom!!
I love it. I'm still giggling and I can't type very well. I was a first-born and hopefully I turned out ok. I wonder the same thing about my first and are we making all our mistakes on him?
I can't stop giggling. That was just too cute.
I, too, feel sorry for first kids! Don't feel bad though, we all have our moments of immaturity. I have even stomped my foot while yelling at my kids. I felt like a 5 year old afterward.
I am an oldest child. The first time a boy ever called my house, was the MOST embarrassing moment of my life! My family just had never experienced how to react to that. It comes with the territory I guess.
I honestly believe that the oldest child comes into each family knowing that the parents are going to mess up.
Having said that, I feel sorry for Emma all the time because of dumb stuff I do or say. Or forget. Hopefully, we get better as we go along.
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