So, today I come home and my youngest daughter, eleven (that's just her nickname, her real name is "Twelve") is working on writing her first novel. Good, right? I'm pleased she's exploring the written word like her old man, but I also notice the TV is on and it's doing that floating "DirecTV" rectangle which means she's been watching something and put it on pause.
I have no problem with this. When she gets home from school she's allowed to watch TV while she snacks. And, I'm tickled forest green (pink really doesn't work for me...it's got to do with my eye color) that she can self-monitor her screen-time. But, I don't like that when no one's watching the TV, that it's still on.
Everyone in the house knows that this is one of my many pet-peeves (instead of coins, I collect pet-peeve). I just don't like wasting electricity, which translates to "I am one cheap son-of-a-gun."
So, today, while she was writing, I come in and tell her that the TV is on and that she needs to turn it off. Twelve is a lot like me, and doesn't like to stop in the middle of her writing. So, she doesn't even look up and says, "In a minute," not budging an inch.
Now, I don't like this response, because in my mind she should have turned that TV off when she was done watching it. So, although she was in the middle of a sentence, I expected her to hop up, say, "Oops, sorry, Dad. I forgot," and turned it off immediately. She didn't. So, I did.
Now, I'm not quite fuming inside, but I'm smoldering a bit. I go outside to shoot hoops, and Twelve comes out and asks, "Do you want to hear what I wrote?" Now, you should know, I absolutely LOVE hearing what my girl writes, and we discuss it together. But, today, I said, "I guess." Twelve responded, "What do you mean?" I shrugged, "I guess...if you want to."
Upset, she huffed back into the house.
Now, here's my dilemma. I know what I did was a bit immature. I did it because I was mad (should have taken the emotion out of my reaction, but I'm only human). As I shot hoops I thought, "Should I have modeled being kind and thinking of others for her, in spite of her selfish move? Or, should I have done what I did so she could see what it feels like, so maybe she won't repeat that kind of maneuver next time?"
Rise above, or taste of her own medicine? Would love your thoughts.
image courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/alvarez
I have no problem with this. When she gets home from school she's allowed to watch TV while she snacks. And, I'm tickled forest green (pink really doesn't work for me...it's got to do with my eye color) that she can self-monitor her screen-time. But, I don't like that when no one's watching the TV, that it's still on.
Everyone in the house knows that this is one of my many pet-peeves (instead of coins, I collect pet-peeve). I just don't like wasting electricity, which translates to "I am one cheap son-of-a-gun."
So, today, while she was writing, I come in and tell her that the TV is on and that she needs to turn it off. Twelve is a lot like me, and doesn't like to stop in the middle of her writing. So, she doesn't even look up and says, "In a minute," not budging an inch.
Now, I don't like this response, because in my mind she should have turned that TV off when she was done watching it. So, although she was in the middle of a sentence, I expected her to hop up, say, "Oops, sorry, Dad. I forgot," and turned it off immediately. She didn't. So, I did.
Now, I'm not quite fuming inside, but I'm smoldering a bit. I go outside to shoot hoops, and Twelve comes out and asks, "Do you want to hear what I wrote?" Now, you should know, I absolutely LOVE hearing what my girl writes, and we discuss it together. But, today, I said, "I guess." Twelve responded, "What do you mean?" I shrugged, "I guess...if you want to."
Upset, she huffed back into the house.
Now, here's my dilemma. I know what I did was a bit immature. I did it because I was mad (should have taken the emotion out of my reaction, but I'm only human). As I shot hoops I thought, "Should I have modeled being kind and thinking of others for her, in spite of her selfish move? Or, should I have done what I did so she could see what it feels like, so maybe she won't repeat that kind of maneuver next time?"
Rise above, or taste of her own medicine? Would love your thoughts.
image courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/alvarez
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