It’s become clear to me that Geeky Girl and I are on different wavelengths. Morning routines are only the tip of the iceberg. It’s true I’m a slacker mom. The kids are responsible for getting their own breakfast, getting dressed, brushing their teeth and gathering their things. I prompt them throughout the morning, but Geeky Boy has now gotten to a point where he really doesn’t need much prompting. He’s motivated to get out the door early so that he can play football in the street with his friends before the bus comes. Geeky Girl is another story. Earlier this week, she came down and ate breakfast before she got dressed and watched cartoons while she ate, meaning that she paid no attention to the time and we were rushing a little to get out the door. I banned tv and insisted that she get dressed before eating. That worked out fine except that she still finds ways to distract herself from the task at hand. Today, she went upstairs to put her shoes on and brush her teeth. First, she asked if she could dump a bucket of water that was in the bathtub. Then she asked about something else having nothing to do with shoes or teeth brushing. I said, “Don’t worry about everything else. Just finish getting ready.” Ten minutes later, she comes down with her shoes on and I tie them and say, “Let’s go.” And she points to her teeth and says she needs to brush them. I’m losing it at this point. What the heck were you doing up there?! Hurry it up. Let’s go. Finally, the teeth are brushed, the hair is combed and we can go.
On other fronts, Geeky Girl contradicts everything I say. I am trying to take this with humor, but it’s hard sometimes, especially when it’s every. single. thing. I did this with my own mother I know. And part of the fun was getting her goat. So I’m trying not to let Geeky Girl get my goat and recognize this for what it is: an attempt to figure out who she is and how she’s different from me. I want her to feel listened to and respected, something I often didn’t feel with my own mother. But, boy is she trying my patience.
