At least she’s not naked.
Another miracle has occurred here in Illinois, and my daughter cleaned her bedroom. Angels wept for joy. So did I. She left this note on the message board on her door:
Once she was finished cleaning, I seized the one moment that her bedroom floor was cleared to shampoo her carpets. You can see how awful it is, can’t you? And can you see the cat we bought specifically to go with this room?
She came home later and stormed up to me. “Why is my floor all wet?”
“I shampooed your carpet while you were gone.”
“That’s not fair! Why do I have to sleep in a wet room?”
“If you would stop spilling things on your floor, I wouldn’t have to shampoo the carpet,” I said, thinking this was a reasonable point, while completely forgetting the laws of logic my daughter applies to a conversation.
“I can’t help it that I spill things! What, am I being punished because I’m clumsy now?”
“Punished? I shampooed your carpet. That’s not a punishment. That’s regular household maintenance.”
She sighed and locked herself in her wet room. The room did look nice for a few hours.
Published by angelawd on April 28th, 2008 tagged Abnormal Motherhood
April 28th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
When I was a teenager I would get in a snit when my mom asked me to help her carry in groceries. All I had to do was go to the garage and carry the bags from the car to the kitchen. That’s it.
It was only when I had to make my own list, drive myself to the store, shop, pay with money I had to earn myself, drive home, unload and put away all the groceries myself that I realized what an ungrateful turd I was.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Angela, I believe you used the words “logic” and “teenager” in the same thought, if not the same sentence. This is like putting “square” with “circle.”
But here’s a possible clue: Think back to when she was two. Does the phrase, “I do it MYSELF” ring a bell? Here she’d done the clean-up herself, and you had to go and add to it.
Just a guess. It’s all just guessing with them.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
@Pamela, I was the same way. My older daughter is out on her own and is now so much more thoughtful!
@kalynne, you’re right, logic and teen just do not compute. I suppose I was expecting too much!
April 28th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Gasp.. you CLEANED her room, next thing you know you will be feeding her food and buying her clothes. When will the madness end?
April 29th, 2008 at 3:10 am
What a cute, cute room!
OK, I will fess up … I used to hate when my mom shampooed the carpets, too. The worst was when she did the couch … I would always forget and flop down on the wet couch and it drove me crazy! Snotty child
April 29th, 2008 at 5:15 am
It is so hard to just let them do it their way. Maybe next time (if you get a next time) you should ask her if she would like for you to do her carpets so that her floors will look as nice as the rest of the room. Choices are a big thing at this age. I’m a control freak. Allowing the choices KILLS ME! (the room from hell is making me nuts!) But, like you, I’ve got enough other things to fight over that I’ve gotta let some of it go or I’ll end up in the loony bin. We could share as long as you don’t mind taking the top bunk. ;o) Hang in there, love.
April 29th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
OH…she is such a girl! I have a daughter that is three and already is proclaiming her independence! I can see what I have to look forward too! Maybe I’ll get lucky and she will be one of those clean freaks where she is shampooing MY carpets??? I can always wish!!!
I came over to your blog from BLOGHer Ads! Thanks!
April 29th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
@Robin - I am such a cruel mother. Even more so today, since she’s grounded off electronics for not doing the dishes last night.
@Swishy, I love her room too, especially when it is clean. I think I was a brat when I was younger, too.
@Damama, i hate the choices thing…but it works! Yep, let’s share a room at the looney bin.
@Shelle, glad you found me! You might get lucky and get an ultra-tidy daughter…I have one of those, too. That was much easier.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
You…cleaned her carpet….without permission? I can’t believe no one has called child protective services. The shame!
April 30th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I guess I’m lucky, Fanny.
Anyhow, I don’t know how it ended up being “her” carpet. It’s not like she bought the house.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:35 am
I can’t believe that you are so mean to inflict wet socks on your daughter. I am thinking about a call to Child Protective Services.
Isn’t it funny how they can twist just about any intention - back to themselves?
Someday you will both laugh about it!
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Since you cleaned the carpet as part of “maintenance”…and since she thinks it’s “punishment”…next time let her do it as a “chore”.
I went through the same thing with my daughter and son when they had to sleep in the den and living room because their rooms had the furniture stacked to let the carpets dry.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Great idea, stewartallyn!
May 11th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Thanks for participating in this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted at Write from Karen! Be sure to stop by on Monday, May 12, 2008, and peruse the other wonderful articles included in this week’s edition!
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:19 am
[…] Williams Duea presents At least she?s not naked. posted at angelawd, saying, “When does clean=punishment? When you’re talking to a teen, […]