Like mother like daughter

It is not always a pleasant experience to hear yourself in your children.  It is like having a mirror that reflects your most annoying habits.  Kate has mastered the art of sarkiness and I am afraid I only have myself to blame.

I am ashamed to say that I sometimes say not-very-proper-mommy things.  For example, when they have a hissy fit and want something that I clearly, logically can NOT give them this very minute (because it doesn't exist / isn't in the house / is finished etc), then I have been known to say things like "Where would you like me to get XYZ? Pull it out my bum??"  I heard Kate tell Adam the other day: Adam, where would you like mom to get that from?  Out her bum???"  Must try a more moderate approach. 

Combine this sarky attitude with the odd unplanned exposure to teen TV (why do they put teen TV in the middle of fine programming like Spongebob and The Might B??) and you get some some interesting Kate'isms.  I'll give you three recent examples:

1.  After making me really cross recently, I sent Kate to her room as punishment. I marched after her and went off on a long tirade of how disappointed I was in her behaviour and how cross she makes me when she is ugly to her brother etc and after eventually winding down to a close she nods her head and says: "and your point is.....?"  MY POINT IS THAT I AM GOING TO PUNISH YOU UNTIL NEXT YEAR IF YOU DO THIS AGAIN!!!!  I was both cross and laughing on the inside at the same time.  

2.  The second incident happened last night. We have a rule that they can play on their iPads for about 15 minutes after brushing their teeth and before lights out.  We then go in and kiss them goodnight and take their iPads away.  So last night I went in to say "Right, that was long enough, time for sleep".  Nooo, they moaned, that wasn't long!!  "Yes it WAS" I say.  Kate replies in a posh accent: "Mom, I believe the word you are looking for is WASN'T.  I believe the word I am looking for is GO TO SLEEP IMMEDIATELY.

3.  This morning Kate didn't want to eat breakfast and asked for a banana instead. I said fine. Half way through she changed her mind. I opened my mouth to have a moan at her and she holds up her hand and says dramatically:  "Wait, wait! I know what you are going to say:  'Blah blah wasting food blah blah'".

My family and friends will tell you that Kate is my just reward for everything that I am and was. She keeps me on my toes.

PS I know reading the above will make toes of strict parents all over the world curl in horror. I could try break her spirit down but I prefer to keep it intact and have her keep her character while remaining appropriately respectful. I think she knows enough to know when it is appropriate to be 'funny' (ie at home) and when it isn't (ie at school / in other people's company). So far so good.  

 

PPS Yes, I know that watching TV, playing on iPads before bedtime, eating bananas for breakfast, sending children to their rooms for punishment, sassiness and lying on tiled floors is terrible parenting and will cause my children to become dreadful delinquents. My poor children.  What a cursed life they have, we obviously need help.  Prayers and small cash donations are welcome.

Comments

[Stefanie]

LOL I know exactly what you mean. My dd is 15. And she is so much like me at that age that I don't let her do near what my parents let me do and they were strict. You know that reaping what you sow verse in the Bible - well, it's so true! (Ask your happy clapper sister if you don't know it.)

[Wiley]

I will consider myself very accomplished if the things I do to my children are only the magnitude of that list.

[Alison C]

If Kate knows the difference between behaviour at home and outside then you win at being mum!

We have always been a very sarcastic family and sometimes people don't understand how we interact. But as long as everyone is respectful to others outside our home then I don't care what everyone else thinks of us.

[Linda Stewart]

Eating a banana for breakfast is a bad thing? OH MY! am I ever in trouble!
Sending a child to their room for punishment ... this one never made sense to me. A child is doing something that should be punished. You send them to their room (where everything they practically own is located!) and you would think, from their reaction, that they had been punished to death. I would have loved to be sent to my room as punishment when I was growing up.

[Martha]

You make me smile, and to actually miss those years sometimes!
(Mine are 32, 29, 26, 24)

[J from Ireland]

Hahaha love Kate. I have a 14yr old daughter who is similiar. I love her confidence and take pride that she is a strong woman like her Mam.

[animzmirot]

My 19 year-old son is just as snarky. What was funny at 6, 7, or 8 is so NOT funny at 19. But I don't regret my snarky sarcasm one bit, and now I know that I'm getting just revenge for my own behaviour as a child.

[Alexicographer]

This made me laugh and laugh. It's a good thing you live so far away as Kate and my son must never meet -- he's quite, er, outspoken enough already ;) !

[me]

This is so cool. She is awesome.

[cat@juggling act]

Ag then I am a bad mother too - not tha tmine have ipads though, I mean, I do not even have one, but the rest - jip, that's me too.

[Jacki Janse van Rensburg]

My kids are older, but they do the same. It makes me angry and amused at the same time.

It also makes me sad and amused that you always have to build disclaimers into your posts, to pre-empt the inevitable responses from the parenting police.

[Heather]

Wow! She sounds like my Phoebe! She's very sassy too. I have lots of stories of sassy things she's said. We do discuss what she's not allowed to say to us, but behind that we are laughing our a$$es off!

[Joy]

I'm like you. I take pride in my son's ability to be witty, sarcastic, or amusing even when I don't appreciate it. And, he knows when to use it and when not to. How can you not smile at a mirror reflection of yourself? Love it!

[Bajin]

Classic! My Mom always use to tell me that karma would come back in due course. Boy! Did it ever! Kate sounds delightful!

[Tine]

I guess we'd better start a Snarky Mom support group. I've painted myself into the same corner!

[Becki]

It's true the only time children listen is when you wish they wouldn't, and then they're like damn court reporters, they repeat everything back verbatim. Usually in front of your boss, your priest, or your in-laws.

Also, I am chagrined at the fairly explicit ads for "teen" programming placed squarely in the middle of programs for much younger kids. When I want my kids exposed to vulgarity and substance abuse I'll do it myself, thank you very much.

[Auntie Mellie]

She is hilarious and yes...God was very specific in choosing you to be her mom.
Hee hee hee, Kate's definitely your reward for being so full of shit yourself!
PS: Hate Disney Channel because of how rude the children speak to each other and parents in the teen shows.

[Kirst Foord]

Love this blog! Could be me and TKA, i know it happens to me too. I thought this would be my life with a teenager not a 6 year old...oh dear what will be do in 10 years time :)