The other shoe

The second article in this high school paper written for students excerpt in our newspaper was an article titled, Things we don't understand about our parents, written by Chloe Beaver.  I read it hoping to gain some insight, wondering what in the world it is that I do that my kids don't get.

1. Parents have to be on time to everything - Hmmm...we learned back when we were teens with jobs that we were paid for to support our cars, social activities, etc. that if you weren't on time you had no job.  Having no job translated to having no money, which translated to having none of the things that we craved like independence from our parents.
2. Parents want us to play our music at a certain volume - Hey, when we aren't around blare your music as loud as you want.  That's what I do when you aren't in my car.  But when I'm trying to watch television or read or sleep I can't do that when you're playing your music too loud.  Isn't that why your generation spends $200 on Beats by dre?
3. Why parents have to plan their social lives far in advance - Because we are so busy running you here and there and watching you in one activity after another that we need to plan in advance to make sure you get where you need to be.  We are selfless like that.
4. Parents always have to eat a healthy breakfast and want us to do the same - Yeah, well, that isn't me.  I prefer a sugary donut over oatmeal and would sooner go out and eat pancakes then stay at home and eat cereal.  Plus, I hate eating when I first get up in the morning.  I let my kids decide that one except when I do feel they need to eat before going somewhere where they might not get food.
5. Parents always make their beds - Yep.  This one I do.  I have done this since I was a little girl and my parents made me make my bed.  My dad was a Marine and sometimes he would do the old "bounce a quarter on the bed" for "fun".  It became my OCD.  For the most part I keep it up, but there are a few times I forget or let it go.  This morning in fact!  My husband, however, hates it and will make the bed every time that he sees it isn't made.  Although, his idea of making a bed isn't what I would call making a bed.
6. Parents don't text - Really?  There are parents out there that don't text?  Not here in my household.  Love texting.  Keeps me in touch with others quickly and easily.
7. Sometimes it seems like parents never sleep - Again, not in my house.  I take a nap almost every other day and friends know not to call before 10:00 on the weekends.  Even my husband naps on the weekends.  Although my kids would probably say their dad doesn't like them sleeping late.
8. A parent's best argument is "because I said so!" - Oh, no.  I have an argument for almost everything.  I only pull out that "because I said so" when I think my kids arguments are better than mine.  And I punctuate it with, "I waited a long time to be the parent to say that and boss kids around."
9. The house has to be clean before a friend comes over - Yeah, well it does.  People come into a house and judge you on cleanliness.  I know I do.
10. Parents complain about the teen generation - I don't think I complain about it.  I feel sorry sometimes for this generation in that they didn't get the kind of great childhood I did where you could run free in your neighborhood inventing games and using items you found on the ground to play those games.  But I also think they have a lot of cool things like a computer that make life easier than it was in my teen days.

My kids responses to these:

Parents have to be on time to everything. 
Madison - "I understand why you have to be on time for things.  I just don't understand why you freak out when we aren't on time."
Darcy:  "I'm always on time.  It's Dad who isn't on time."

Parents want us to play our music at a certain volume.
Madison:  "Really?  She doesn't understand this?"
Darcy:  "You play your music loud sometimes."

Why parents have to plan their social lives far in advance.
Madison:  "It is good to plan in advance."
Darcy:  "We all do that.  We have to."

Parents always have to eat a healthy breakfast and want us to do the same.
Madison:  "You don't eat a healthy breakfast."
Darcy:  "YOU don't eat a healthy breakfast!"

Parents always make their beds.
Madison:  "That one is true, but you've told me why you do it.  But we shouldn't have to do it."
Darcy:  "Yeah! I don't like doing that."

Parents don't text.
Madison:  "What?  Really?  You text more than I do."
Darcy:  "You text all the time."

Seems like parents never sleep
Madison:  "Uh, you sleep."
Darcy:  "You sleep more than I do!"

A parent's best argument is "Because I said so!"
Madison:  "I don't think you say that.  I don't like the author's snotty attitude on this one."
Darcy:  "Sometimes you say that."

Parents want the house clean before a friend comes over
Madison:  "Yeah, you always want that.  It's silly."
Me:  "But you are only saying that because you don't want to have to clean."
Madison:  "Well, no one likes cleaning!"
Darcy:  "Yeah, this one is true."

Parents complain about the teen generation
Madison:  "No, I don't think you do that."
Darcy:  "Why are you making me answer these questions?"

I then asked them each what things they didn't understand about parents.

Madison:  "Why you freak out over being late."
Darcy:  "I don't know."
Madison:  "Your obsession with rearranging bedrooms."
Darcy:  "Why do I have to do this?"
Madison:  "Why I'm having to answer these questions when I'm trying to do my homework.  I'm under a lot of pressure, you know!"