twinkly’s parenting of teens advice column-vol. 1

Perhaps, like me, you have children of the teenage persuasion. I have two, of the female variety (homo sapiens sapiens teenager femini)

I am happy to report that the following news item appeared in our local weekly paper’s POLICE REPORT yesterday:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

DISTURBANCES

• 6:59 p.m. — Police kept the peace at a South Amherst home where a teenage boy refused to follow parental instructions to empty the dishwasher.

♦

Well, didn’t I think that was the cat’s pajamas until I was shopping earlier today and witnessed the following scene. This screenplay is based on actual events.

INT. TJ MAXX STORE, HADLEY, MASS – WOMEN’S COATS – A SATURDAY – DAYTIME

MOTHER, approximately 47, slightly disheveled and definitely exhausted in appearance; and DAUGHTER, teenage

MOTHER stands next to daughter in front of coat rack

MOTHER

Don’t tell me what to do. Ever! I’m in charge.

twinkly’s astute, perceptive, and erudite commentary on the screenplay:

While at first it may appear that the character of MOTHER was indeed in charge, upon closer inspection one sees that if in fact she were truly in charge, both in feeling that she was and in the reality of such, she would not have needed to speak at all. The scene would have played very differently.

FIN

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Music Monday–speaking of lullabies

Y’all know I am not a fan of The Grateful Dead and enough said about that.

But several years ago, I picked up a CD of Not For Kids Only, with Dave Grisman and Jerry Garcia. It was then that my classical-guitar playing friend said how much he liked the Grateful Dead. I was fairly shocked, WHY? He said Jerry’s playing and singing is soulful; and finally, I too found it to be so.

My kids grew up listening to this CD pretty frequently. Thinking about Freight Train of late inspired me to dig it up. Right away, my eldest started playing the CD over and over. I used to sing some of these songs as lullabies and I asked the girls if they remember them very well. Yes, of course.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sometimes as a parent, you do something right.

CD or no, the music is in them.

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