Rocking the boat
Posted by Dory @ Lucky Dorito on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
After months and months of being frustrated by this ongoing battle at our house – I’ve decided to throw in the towel. I am no longer going to let the begging and whining and whimpering of a certain 9 year old (no names mentioned for fear of embarrassing the little turkey) rule my evenings.
This certain little girl who shall remain nameless for the purpose of this post is precious beyond precious…. when she wants to be. And when she isn’t getting her way – she turns into someone else. Someone that makes me want to pop her on the hiney.
Here’s the issue at hand – tell me if I’m being unreasonable.
Sometimes she wants to be all grown up, inviting friends over for sleepovers, talking on the phone with her friends, etc., just all the things that any 9 year old wants to do. But, when it is time to take a shower – she doesn’t want to, always saying, “later” or “make Beebo go first, it’s her turn” (whether it is or not). When she finally does go upstairs to shower, she insists that someone be upstairs with her, claiming that she is scared. So – that means one of us has to drop what we’re doing and go sit up there, twiddling our thumbs while she’s showering. I understand that she might be scared being up there alone, so I’ve said a MILLION times to shower early in order for one of us to go upstairs with her.
After I’ve worked all day, I run in, cook dinner, help with homework, do dishes, etc – trying to get it all done by 7ish or so because, let’s face it – that’s when the good tv comes on in central time zone. Of course, we have TVs upstairs so I could still easily watch. That’s not the issue – it’s more about the fact that I don’t MIND to go up there with her – as long as she does it early. By 7 or later, I’m tired, I just want to sit down for a minute and rest a while.
Maybe that makes me lazy.
Maybe I wouldn’t be so annoyed with it if she didn’t go up there by herself to play or watch tv sometimes. That’s totally different though, right? I mean – she wants to do those things. She doesn’t want to shower.
Last night I made her do it on her own. Refusing to go upstairs with her. She fussed and whined and carried on…. and then….. she did it. Hallelujah, I don’t have to run away after all!
Tell me, what do you think – is that an unreasonable request?
Filed in Kids,Life,Me,Randomness | 14 dorito bits so far
Ms. Kittyon 20 May 2009 at 6:20 am 1I don’t believe you’re being unreasonable…but remember, I have a cat and dog….I can ALWAYS put them outside! I may not be the one you need to listen too! Have a great day!
Chrison 20 May 2009 at 7:42 am 2Has she seen “Psycho” by chance? That may explain everything. But it sounds like last night may have been the breakthrough for you. Just don’t let her win!
We deal with almost the opposite: I can’t get our 9yr old OUT of the shower! She goofs & plays first. When we check on her, she hasn’t washed or conditioned her hair. Then it takes another 5-10min, at which time she wants someone to check her hair to see if all the stuff is out. My get-rich-quick scheme is to invent a showerhead that turns off the water (or makes it instantly cold) after a certain time. I’d be rich and others would save money as well! Well…except for you.
Susanon 20 May 2009 at 8:50 am 3It is not unreasonable at all. My almost 9 year old does the same stuff to me. She puts it off until I’m too tired to enforce it and then it gets put off until the next day. They are sneaky little devils at this age and all we can do is not give in and enforce the rules.
Beccaon 20 May 2009 at 9:49 am 4I don’t think that you are unreasonable, though I really have knowledge on which to speak of this. I hope that you have broken the pattern. Youngest grasshopper, don’t make your momma stress at the end of her day. She lovs you very much, but she needs some momma time, too!
giggleson 20 May 2009 at 11:10 am 5Thats the very same thing I went thru with my youngest. She would put it off and put it off, then want me to sit in there with her. I finally told her if she hadnt taken her shower by 9 ….no shower that day. After several days of no showers she started stinking and her friends started teasing her and she got in on her own after that. Now, (she 19) her showers are an hour long and I have to yell to get her out. LOL
Chris…if you invent one of those showerheads I will buy one from you!!!!
Giggles
Katon 20 May 2009 at 11:48 am 6Hmmm… of course I have boys so it may be different with girls – but if they go a few days without a shower and they start to smell really bad, which they will, then their friends start to tell them that they stink and they will come home and take a shower.
megon 20 May 2009 at 12:35 pm 7Now, you know I’m a hard case- I don’t put up with much & have often told my darlings that my life is not run for their convenience- so I think it’s unreasonable that you let her get away with it in the first place
(Love you, little one, really I do- & your Mama, too)
Chris, I’d pay good money for your device- I still have one shower-lingerer living at home :-S
Shannonon 20 May 2009 at 12:43 pm 8You know I don’t think you are being unreasonable at ALL. That sweet girl is too big to be pulling that silliness and I think if you stick to your guns and make her shower before 7 or all alone upstairs- that she will stop soon. And then you can write a new blog post to tell us how AWESOME she has done.
Love you nameless girl!
annon 20 May 2009 at 11:03 pm 9OH, all I can say is Thank The Lord I am not the only mom who suffers so!! I thought my kid was just spoiled and ruined, with no one to blame but myself! I am feeling much better now – thanks!
thotladyon 21 May 2009 at 10:45 am 10I have a strange question…why is she showering at night. If she showers in the morning, then won’t everyone else be upstairs getting ready for their day and she won’t be alone?
Am I missing something?
Jenon 21 May 2009 at 11:45 am 11I don’t think you are being unreasonable either.
I am an indulgent parent, so I would probably cave in. Being consistent is hard and I tend to wear down fast!
Doryon 21 May 2009 at 12:24 pm 12@Thotlady – Yeah, seems like that would solve it all, doesn’t it? But …. there’s two small problems with her showering in the morning:
1) she’s ridiculously hard to drag out of bed in the morning, regardless of how early she gets to bed the night before and
2) our water heater isn’t large enough to supply enough hot water for all of us to shower in the morning.
Tracieon 21 May 2009 at 9:25 pm 13I think thats a nine year oldish thing. We have a ranch style home; the bathroom is just right there and Boo still had to have the door cracked open. Boo still fights the shower & she could care less if she stinks. We have to go through the whole “did you use soap? On your body? Shampoo? On your Head? DId you scrup? Did you rinse? ” and you’d be surprised how many times she has to go back in. LOL Leaves you shaking your head!
madisonon 09 Jul 2009 at 10:13 pm 14I don’t think you are being unreasonable just let her not take a shower and when enough people make fun of her she will want to take one weather it is with one of u up there or not. Even though this sweet little girl knows that i love her dearly we all have to go through this sort of thing, i used to HATE taking showers but as she gets older she will grow out of it………… i hope:)