RSS
Home
Was that really necessary?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Some days, being a parent feels like one long exercise in self-control. It’s like navigating a minefield, or walking In stilettos on a wet floor. Or wearing a big fluffy winter coat while shopping for porcelain figurines. You get my drift.
No better time to drive this point home than the High Holidays: we recently survived another Yom Kippur, and although Rabbis far and wide will disagree with me, I often think the holiday is designed to remind my children of how much fun bad behavior can be.
Case in point: doing something atrocious, just so you can show off your excellent apology skills, preferably with a holy smirk on your face. I fell for it again this year; multiple times, in fact. “Wait,” my daughter seems to tell herself, “Yom Kippur is tomorrow? I better squeeze in some rotten egg behavior before the deadline. After all, soon, all will be forgiven. Yom Kippur starts on Sunday night? That means a humongous fit needs to take place on Saturday; in a public place, if possible”.
You think I am too harsh. For that reason, I have included Isabella’s latest apology to her brother Mendel, carefully written out, and meant to convey her remorse for calling him stupid. I ask you, is it an actual apology, or is it an exercise in how many times you can write the word ‘stupid’ on a sheet of paper, and get away with it? I suspect the latter. Isabella is in love with the word ‘stupid’. She uses it for everything her brother does. His songs are stupid, his toys are stupid, his clothes, hair, favorite TV programs; he is undeniably, irrevocably, the stupidest kid that ever lived. Unlike Mendel, who pretends he doesn’t hear a thing, I can’t ignore it, and address it every time.
Why does she get so much juice from calling him ‘stupid’ anyway? It’s not as if he actually has any problems in that department. He doesn’t listen very well, and he likes to sing the same song over and over again; he often refuses to eat, he hides our things, and he attempts to drive the entire family mad by doing everything at a snail’s pace, but stupid? Not that I’ve noticed. Although, a friend recently explained to me that ‘stupid’ is actually code for “you’re not doing what I want,” so maybe this is a sign he’s finally standing up to her.
“What you call others says more about you,” I tell her. She doesn’t like that at all.
“I’m not stupid,” she says, insulted that I even bring it up.
A few days later, I realize I haven’t heard the word in a while; could it possibly be that she’s dropped it? Or is she getting her kicks by using it on someone else, at school perhaps? Maybe I better check with her teacher.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like
Now you're just showing off, I've heard enough, and Pet peeves
Related Articles:
Comments
