The Conversations at my House
When I’m reading other mom’s blogs, I’m always touched by the cute conversations they have with their little ones. Conversations with my Little One are usually much different, and I don’t think I can ascribe all of it to her teenagerdom. Here’s an example:
LO: “Mom, would you kill someone for me?”
Me: “What?!”
LO: “Would you kill someone for me?”
Me: “Have you been watching Snapped with your sister again?”
LO: “Yeah, there was this one Mom that killed a guy that broke into their house and was attacking her daughter.”
Me: “If someone is attacking you in the house, I want you to yell really loud so that I have time to escape.”
LO: “Mom!”
Me: “I’ll call 911 once I reach safety.”
LO: “Would you be serious?”
Since Big Guy and the girls often work nights, I spend a lot of time alone. Time to think about what I would do if a psycho in a hockey mask toting a chainsaw appeared in my office. I would like to think that I’d throw the printer or my Navajo pottery pencil jar at him. But in reality I think that my heart would probably explode with fear and this would save him the bother of having to kill me. So I say:
Me: “I don’t think anyone knows for sure what they would do in a crisis situation. That’s why we try to be prepared for anything.”
LO: “You’re avoiding the question. You know if someone was hurting me that you’d want to kill them.”
I quickly tried to think of a Christian response. What would Jesus do? If he had a teenager that someone was hurting? Levitate him? Preach the Gospel? Send him to the capable hands of his Maker?
Me: “Turn off that TV. Don’t you have something better to do? Aren’t you supposed to be reading some book for English class?”
LO: “Yeah, The Scarlet Letter.”
Me: “Good. Go read about priests and adultery. Stop asking me about murder.”
Published by angelawd on December 6th, 2007 tagged Abnormal Motherhood, Mom of Teens
December 6th, 2007 at 11:05 am
hmmm…that’s an interesting dilemma. If someone were attacking my teen daughter I’d want to kill them, or at least hurt them very badly. Then again, like you said, what would Jesus do? Wow, I don’t know how I’d react. The flight attendants instructions come to my mind. “Place your mask over your nose and mouth before assisting others around you.” Thank goodness our whole family has a cell phone and can call 911 if needed.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:09 am
In all honesty, if someone was hurting my daughter I don’t think I could possibly run away. However, if someone was attacking me I would want her to run away and get help. I’d be too afraid that she would also get hurt. Double standard? Maybe.
Darn ethical dilemmas. Now I’m going to have to reopen the conversation when she gets home. Little One? Remember when we talked about murder? Well, murder is wrong, but I would come to your self defense. DON’T come to mine!
December 6th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Go read about preists and adultery? OMG, you’re killin’ me!
December 6th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Wow, I’m glad I haven’t had one of these conversations yet. My discussions are more like, “Mommy, are you gonna love me always?”
December 6th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Patty, I think I am much more prepared for your types of questions, too! How do you really answer, “Mom, would you kill for me?”
December 6th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Ha, this made me laugh and laugh… I’d definitely try to put the hurt on Mr. Hockey Mask…
December 6th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
What a juxtaposition, lol. The Scarlet Letter versus Murder–which to choose, which to choose! Not gonna lie, I’d kill if I had to for my children, (such a rare circumstance) but I would. I know nothing I do will ever take my salvation, and I know there’s a reason God instilled that instinct in parent! But…I rest easy knowing that probably won’t ever be a dilemma I’d have to face. Great thinking topic, though.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Angela, you’re my kind of mom!
I loves me some sarcasm, and I’m guessing your daughter appreciates it, or will eventually.
What would Jesus do? I think it’s likely that Jesus would stand in place of the child, put himself in between and take the physical assault on Himself - and I can’t really see Him fighting back physically, though I can see Him praying and asking God for help… which is quite a bit stronger than a right hook…
Unfortunately, my instincts in a heated situation are not always as Christlike as I would apire - I don’t know that I’d kill someone, but I could definitely see inflicting some damage to keep them away from my kids.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Well, we reopened the conversation and I was able to stress the fact that I would DISABLE the murderer so that we could get away to safety. Then have him/her arrested. Stacey, like you, I am praying that this is a situation I never have to face.
I agree, Merry, that Jesus would probably take the assault. And then probably do something divine.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:38 am
What do you mean, throw the Navaho pottery vase!?
December 10th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
You’re talking about Puritan New England. Dimsdale (sp?) wasn’t a priest, though he was a member of the clergy.
We don’t get to have those cute conversations around here either, as I mentioned in this post:
http://suburbancorrespondent.blogspot.com/2007/11/talk-to-me.html
December 11th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
It must be a teenage thing because Daughter asked me a very similar thing - Mom, would you die for me.
Coming from an adopted, very attachment-challenged child, that was a seriously loaded question. Hesitating, answering wrong, or deflecting the question could have had horrible consequences. I told her that if someone was trying to hurt her and the only way I could stop them was to take the bullet, then yes, no question, I would. She was amazed. Said she didn’t expect me to say that.
It never ceases to blow my mind how much they need to be reassured of our love at that age . Whether they are adopted or biological - I guess teen angst is teen angst.
xoxo