Being a parent of a teen and a preteen can be confusing at times (most times, to be perfectly honest). Yesterday I was so proud of my teen, Riley (17). I'm an elementary school teacher, and had so much to bring with me yesterday, a box, a few bags, food, etc... I decided I would leave some of my items until the following day, because my mama was no octopus, thus I only have two arms.
When I got to school, I realized I did something I don't ever remember doing during the last twenty years of teaching; I forgot "the bag," the bag with my grade book, my lesson planner, my personal planner and my laptop... everything I need to survive in the classroom.
So, I text Riley, who drives, and asked if she could help me. She gets out of school a little before lunch and said she'd drive it to me around noon. What a life saver!
My school is on the way to where she volunteers after school. So, I figured she just dropped by on her way to volunteer. Come to find out, she didn't volunteer that day. She drove fifteen minutes out of her day and back another fifteen minutes to help her old man. I was so proud of her...but, that was yesterday!
So, last Christmas Riley asked for a spy pen (yea, I know, a teenage girl with a pen that records video and audio), but she couldn't get it to work. The directions were in English but translated from Chinese and very confusing. So, after a few months she gave up on it and gave it to her little sister, Grace (12).
Well, actually, Riley was going to sell it on Craigslist, but asked if anyone else in the house wanted it first. Grace took it and tried to figure it out. Still, no go. So, I was asked to put it up for sale on Craigslist. I sold the thing a few days ago for five bucks. Riley was gone when I sold it, but Grace was around and asked if she and her sister would split the money. I had no idea, and told Grace to talk to her sister about it.
So, today, here's how it went down. Riley says she should get the whole five bucks because it was a gift to her, and she was kind enough to offer it to her sister instead of selling it outright. Grace thought that since it was a gift to her after it was a gift to her sister, that they should split the money. They didn't agree, and I walked away, assuming they would work it out.
They didn't. I stepped in and told them I could see it from both of their points of view. Riley, my near-adult, the girl I was so pleased with for saving me yesterday, says, "It was my gift so I get the money", and closes her door like some kind of mutant Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Cholcolate Factory.
Of course this hurts her little sister's feelings, and Grace responds by saying, "Fine, you can have it all. It's only $2.50, anyway." I was sooo proud of her for taking the high road and even though she didn't want to give in on principle, she did because she knew it wasn't worth it, and two-fifty wasn't going to change either of their lives.
What a difference a day makes!
image courtesy of https://pixabay.com/en/money-cash-usd-two-dollar-bill-1459232/
When I got to school, I realized I did something I don't ever remember doing during the last twenty years of teaching; I forgot "the bag," the bag with my grade book, my lesson planner, my personal planner and my laptop... everything I need to survive in the classroom.
So, I text Riley, who drives, and asked if she could help me. She gets out of school a little before lunch and said she'd drive it to me around noon. What a life saver!
My school is on the way to where she volunteers after school. So, I figured she just dropped by on her way to volunteer. Come to find out, she didn't volunteer that day. She drove fifteen minutes out of her day and back another fifteen minutes to help her old man. I was so proud of her...but, that was yesterday!
So, last Christmas Riley asked for a spy pen (yea, I know, a teenage girl with a pen that records video and audio), but she couldn't get it to work. The directions were in English but translated from Chinese and very confusing. So, after a few months she gave up on it and gave it to her little sister, Grace (12).
Well, actually, Riley was going to sell it on Craigslist, but asked if anyone else in the house wanted it first. Grace took it and tried to figure it out. Still, no go. So, I was asked to put it up for sale on Craigslist. I sold the thing a few days ago for five bucks. Riley was gone when I sold it, but Grace was around and asked if she and her sister would split the money. I had no idea, and told Grace to talk to her sister about it.
So, today, here's how it went down. Riley says she should get the whole five bucks because it was a gift to her, and she was kind enough to offer it to her sister instead of selling it outright. Grace thought that since it was a gift to her after it was a gift to her sister, that they should split the money. They didn't agree, and I walked away, assuming they would work it out.
They didn't. I stepped in and told them I could see it from both of their points of view. Riley, my near-adult, the girl I was so pleased with for saving me yesterday, says, "It was my gift so I get the money", and closes her door like some kind of mutant Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Cholcolate Factory.
Of course this hurts her little sister's feelings, and Grace responds by saying, "Fine, you can have it all. It's only $2.50, anyway." I was sooo proud of her for taking the high road and even though she didn't want to give in on principle, she did because she knew it wasn't worth it, and two-fifty wasn't going to change either of their lives.
What a difference a day makes!
image courtesy of https://pixabay.com/en/money-cash-usd-two-dollar-bill-1459232/
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