Last night my 16-year-old son revealed that he blew off school all day yesterday, sleeping till noon and not bothering to go in at all -- after having gone to a movie with a friend the night before.He forgot to set his alarm, apparently. So last night I responded with love, and told him to remember to set his alarm.
This morning I go into his room, and he's lying there sleeping through his alarm. How could that be? Alarms are supposed to be brash and impossible-to-sleep-through, right?
You know what this kid's idea of an "alarm" is? I'll tell you: barely-audible mumblings from the likes of Robert Siegel, Corey Flintoff, Steve Inskeep, and Renee Montagne. Ok, so he's got taste in radio, but that aint no alarm, son. It's a damned soporific.
I didn't have time to find my clue-stick to beat him with it, as I was gearing up to pedal seven miles to work in what weather.com calls "18 degrees, feels like 12".
And what are Nick's plans? He wants to borrow the car.
To make this journey. Go ahead, click and feast your eyes.
So, to put a fine point on it, I'm living in a bland, suburban house that doesn't fit my personality -- a house we bought based almost entirely on "location, location, location".
And the teenager wants to burn oil to make a zero-point-6 mile trek. And this is not just today -- this is any day that he thinks that I don't need the car.
Some of you out there must be parents. Please advise.
P.S. I set up a poll on the subject. Please go vote.
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10 comments:
Just advise, not sound advise, just my suggestion.
Talk to your kids. Say, "Get up and go to school," and, "No. You can walk."
Considering your previous post, the first problem may have a correlation. The second problem may have to do more with ego than laziness. I still remember feeling "cool" or something driving to school. Made me feel like a grown-up or empowered somehow.
I don't know but maybe you could use allowance as a route to extort your kids into acceptable and agreeable behaviour... Parents have been trying to encourage their kids and help them make good decisions for years. I don't think we'll ever learn how to do that.
Ok, gravy. Let me role-play with you. I'm Nick:
Gravy sez: "No, you can walk".
I whine "I won't make it in time. This is ridiculous!"
Gravy: "You'll be late. Learn to leave earlier tomorrow."
Nick: "But no one is using the car."
Gravy: "That's right. No one is using the car, including you."
Nick: "I hate you. You're not my real dad!"
Gravy: "I know. I'm role playing."
Nick: "What's that?"
Gravy: "It's like Dungeons and Dragons but without any Dungeons or Dragons."
Nick: "What?"
Gravy: "Oh, it's like World of Warcraft in real life."
Nick: "I still hate you."
lol. you rule.
Let's put two spaghetti strainers over our heads, connect them with wires, and let you conduct the debate in my body. Once you win him over, we can switch back.
I promise I'll swap back after.
Somehow my actions this morning motivated him to make an appointment with the Marine Corp. 3:30pm tomorrow.
I don't have the heart to tell him how much walking they'll make him do.
Fear used to make me go to school.(You know the "or else policy.") I don't think that is a healthy way for a man of your intelligence to conduct, but i do think that teenage kids are fucking stupid and need guidance. They look kind of like adults, but do really dumb things because adults are afraid to step in and help guide them. Guidance is key. Too many adults think they are their teenagers friends. Not yet...that happens in their twenties.
Ride or walk with him to school.
I hear what you're saying, ButchieCantaloupe. I don't feel like I've fallen into the premature-friends trap that many parents do. But maybe I'm too close to the situation to be objective.
Last night he made me sit down and watch An Inconvenient Truth with him. He's been trying for a few months now, and we finally did it. Great movie. Must see.
But it's a bit of an irony that he can't bring himself to walk a thousand yards to school.
Podunk - who is the parent here?
That's the right perspective, Adrian. I came to that conclusion before I wrote this one & confiscated his key to the car.
How did the Marine Corps appointment go? Jim and his cousin laughed over this at lunch today. Nick needs to know about reveille at 0-dark-thirty, double time 30 mile hikes with a 40 pound pack and rifle, drill instructors, following orders. How much duckwalking hurts.
Or he could get up and walk to school for a couple more years. He should walk. I made you walk. (Mom)
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