I used to worry that we didn't pay enough attention to Scott. He has always been the easy going one, just cruising through life not letting anything bother him and not bothering anyone.
His sister on the other hand has been a fully fledged diva princess drama queen for the past 4 years. And you know the saying "the squeeky wheel gets the oil?" well Stephanie has been proof that if you complain long enough and loud enough and consistently enough someone will listen to you.
I have in the past worried that I'm selling Scott short, that he doesn't get the attention he deserves, that he was missing out in some way.
Then Scott turned 13.
And someone came in the middle of the night and stole my nice, easy going, placid, sweet little boy and replaced him with who knows what.
He is definately not flying under the radar anymore. He is a giant blip, dead centre. He is even managing to move his sister from centre stage. Ok. Maybe not. He's managing to share centre stage with her.
He argues about cleaning his teeth, feeding the dog, sitting in the front seat, having a shower, using his manners, I could go on and on and on....but then I would start sounding like my children!
And what is it with teenage boys and showers? Do they suddendly become allergic to water? He seems to vascilate from one extreme to the next. Either he takes 3 showers a day for 30 minutes at a time, or he has to be dragged in there and he's out in 2 minutes, leaving the towels all over the floor and filthy.
Teenage girls are hard work. They cry. They nag. They sulk. They obsses about friends, family, boyfriends, school, what colour suits them. But at least they smell nice!
From what I've seen so far boys smell, grunt, and just get downright obstinate.
So, my point? Well no point at all actually. Just observations. I think I'm in mourning a little for my nice boy, will he ever come back?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Flying under the radar
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11 valued opinions!:
Wow! Welcome to the male young adult years...
I have the same issue with Nicholas, our youngest, who is now 16. He either 'avoids' taking a shower and stays in his pjs all day (a homeschool pro or is it a con?) or he takes up to a 1 hour shower with steam billowing everywhere when the door is opened! He has been threatened with paying the water bill if he doesn't ease up!
He has been MY easy, go-with-the-flow child ~ but has definitely been in center radar for the past year and is a major bright BLIPPING DOT lately!
We've had several heart-to-heart talks and I just took away his internet connection to the router (he has a desktop computer, while the rest of us can access the router through our wireless connection in our laptops.) He gets it back for an hour or two each afternoon/evening and has to return it to me when I go to bed. I'm considering taking it with me when I have to be away from home. He's so intelligent, it wouldn't take him long to get his schoolwork done each day, but he is so tempted and sucked into the computer. Ugh!
He's a great young man with lots of talent, but I'm with you ~ I want my sweet Little Buddy back everyday... :)
It's good to know we're not alone, huh?!
Well I don't really know about this. I come from a family that doesn't know how to make boys, we only make girls... well almost all the time. So that must be why! :o
LOL! It's not all bad. He doesn't throw tantrums or burst into tears over nothing (hmmm, I'm supposed to be talking about Stephanie here but I might be describing myself!). He is still WAY more easygoing than the princess (or her mother) but it's just a bit of a shock. Here I was, lulling myself into a false sense of security, patting myself on the back for raising such a sweetheart when *bang*! he becomes a teenager. A really stubborn one at that.
He'll come back and he'll be just the way he was when he "decided" to be a teenager. Mine is 27 now, and he is living proof of this fact!
As an add inspiration here--my mil had 5 children--2 girls and 3 boys--and she has always said that she would have traded in those 2 girls during this time for 5 more teenage boys!! And believe me, her boys weren't that easy!
So, all in all--boys are easier than girls. It's a hormonal thing I think and also the fact that all of a sudden they realize that they're growing up and want to feel a little taste of not being under Mom's rule so much.
But, they do come back, and when that happens--it's the best feeling!
I have you down for the prayer journal--slow but sure progress--not too many people yet, but we'll grow if God intends this!
Beth
I'm right there with you! JM is 17 years old and I still need to remind him to shower. And they DO stink. the older they get the worse they get. His friend's moms say they have the same problem. Just wait until he gets older and takes 2 or 3 other big boys in his room and closes the door. When the door opens you have to hold your breath and be ready with the Lysol.
What I really find strange is that the girls don't seem to mind. (the teenage girls that is). They are clean but they hang out with these stinky guys and it really doesn't bother them! (I know it doesn't because i asked them.)
I'm very upfront and straight forward with JM's friends when they come over. If they are spending the night..or even a few hours..I make them shower and put on JM's clothes while I wash theirs. They laugh and it doesn't seem to bother them...and then they DO take a shower.
Last of all...as I finish this novel...I've seen it tons of times. The teenage boys are easier than the girls. I don't have girls but my friends do and they ALL agree that teenage girls (sometimes starting at ages as young as 10 and 11 ) are much more difficult than the boys.....but at least they smell good!
I have a child who argues about cleaning teeth, feeding the Guineas, sitting in the front seat, having a shower, using his manners, etc, and he is only 7 1/2!!! He was a mild-mannered little chap, and I guess in a lot of ways he still is... but what I'd like to know, if he argues with me like this now, does it mean that I'll be dealing with worse when he's a teenager, or will he turn back into my angel boy sooner-rather-than-later???!!!... Oh, we love 'em no matter what, don't we? But I've had a "whiff" of my eldest step-son for the past few years, and OMGness, he's rank! I don't get how they can not smell themselves!!!
Sharon I did not want to read this at all..... my eldest has just turned 13 and is still a reasonably pleasant young man!
Guess at least you have warned me!
LOL
Lynette
Beth: Please don't tell me I have to wait til he's 27!?
Mary: I don't remember my brother or my male friends smelling this bad! He sprays deoderant everywhere but I can still smell it!
Naomi: Scott went through a bit of a phase of testing how far he could push at around 7 or 8. But then he went back to being nice again til now! And even though he isn't awful all the time, I still see glimpses of my sweet boy....it's what is keeping him alive!
Lynette: You never know, you may have one of those rare one's who doesn't turn into a smelly, grunting, arguing beasty overnight. I have a friend with a 14 year old teenage son who is still so lovely and sweet. Part of me admires what a lovely boy she has raised but to be honest part of me is hoping he is a late bloomer and will "turn" one day! It's such an adventure I think all parents should have to endure..um I mean experience it!
I have 2 daughters, ages 9 & 4. We are in la-la land and are pretending the teen years are not coming. Shhhh.
9 hey? I predict you have about 2 years of la la land left. Enjoy!
I am rolling with laughter. What a funny post!! Thanks for sharing your life with us.
Leah
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