What Is the Official Age...
...when a boy becomes a smart alec? Is it ten? Because my nephew has a little stinker of a streak going through him right now.
My sister-in-law was over with her kids, one of them being 10 year old Joshua. Our six-year-olds were fighting with each other, and she and I went to each respective child to fix their behavior.
Joshua: "Why are you two doing that?"
Sister: "Doing what?"
Joshua: "Well, Aunt Jackie is in one room telling one kid to share his toys, and you are in the other telling your kid to respct other people's property if they don't want it to be touched. Why are you telling them two different things?"
Sister: "Because we want each of you kids to be nice, respectful people, no matter what the other is doing."
Joshua: "But how are we supposed to know what to do when you moms are doing that? You aren't making any sense!"
Sister: "Because we like to torture you with things that don't make sense because that's what parents do to their children. Now be quiet and play."
OK, so the kid had a point. But where in the world did he get the brains to figure that out? I think my sister-in-law is going to have a lot of fun in the next ten years with that little guy running around.
My sister-in-law was over with her kids, one of them being 10 year old Joshua. Our six-year-olds were fighting with each other, and she and I went to each respective child to fix their behavior.
Joshua: "Why are you two doing that?"
Sister: "Doing what?"
Joshua: "Well, Aunt Jackie is in one room telling one kid to share his toys, and you are in the other telling your kid to respct other people's property if they don't want it to be touched. Why are you telling them two different things?"
Sister: "Because we want each of you kids to be nice, respectful people, no matter what the other is doing."
Joshua: "But how are we supposed to know what to do when you moms are doing that? You aren't making any sense!"
Sister: "Because we like to torture you with things that don't make sense because that's what parents do to their children. Now be quiet and play."
OK, so the kid had a point. But where in the world did he get the brains to figure that out? I think my sister-in-law is going to have a lot of fun in the next ten years with that little guy running around.
posted by Philothea Rose at
3:41 PM
2 Comments:
What Is the Official Age...
...when a boy becomes a smart alec?My answer...as soon as they start talking. By the age of 12 or so, they know everything, and now our oldest is almost 16 and has, at times, certified himself as a genius. He is a great kid, don't get me wrong, but it often takes all of my willpower not to turn around and backhand him in the mouth.
If kids nowadays said the same things to their parents 20 or 50 years ago, they would have lost teeth courtesy of their parents. I don't advocate corporal punishment of that magnitude, but strange result of all of it, the kids never really talked back again in the past!
It started here at age 10. My oldest ds is 11 now, and takes at least half of my parenting energy every day (and he's only one of 7 kids). Hint: Rather than me physically correcting him, I have him do 25 push-ups 50 jumping jacks, and add to it by 50% for each eye roll or mouth off. So far it seems to work.
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