The other night I sat at my kitchen table eating Sunday dinner with my husband and two teenage daughters. It amazes me how quickly things can go South.
I had almost finished my skillet - a delicious concoction of scrambled eggs and cheese over country sausage, sweet and yukon gold potatoes and onions - when Lexi discovered a potato edged in green.
"Dad, there's a green potatoe in my food. You do realize that green potatoes are poisonous, don't you?" She said with her condescending tone earned from completing 3 of 4 quarters in culinary school during this, her junior year in high school.
"Green just means the potatoe was above the earth and got a little sun. It's fine."
"No it isn't.
Meanwhile, Kylee, the 14 year old googles green potatoes to determine that they aren't actually poisonous. She shares her new knowledge proudly, much to Lexi's chagrin. The three of them continue bickering back and forth and I decide it's time to depart as the conversation has taken a steep decline.
Five minutes later, I return to find that the 17 year old has manipulated her dad into turning on the 14 year old by changing the topic to earlier int he week when the 14 year old who was being bossed around decided to stand up for herself by threatening to take her sister's clothes out on the back lawn and torch them.
A line that should not be crossed I'll grant you, but I could totally understand why the 14 year old felt the need to go there.
Against my better judgement, I gave in to my husband's request to address the situation by refereeing. I told the 17 year old who said when she turned 18 in September, that she would have to move out because she no longer felt safe in her own home that maybe her brother would have room for her. My husband quickly jumped to her defense. It was the 14 year old that needed to move out.
Since he spent 60-80 hours a week at work, he didn't see the fighting that I did and I did not think that one kid was to blame over the other.
I got it all worked out with my husband admitting that he had been hoodwinked and I pointed out to my daughter that it was much better to say "I want a relationship with you but we need to do better" rather than I don't want a relationship with you ..."
Help Me!
