I'm blaming it on the ortho, because my child is practically perfect in every way. Immediately after Golda's ortho appointment, she got in the car and huffed, "My head hurts and I refuse to go to youth symphony. This is a free country. I have rights."
I said, "No...you have parents."
Golda fumed, "I have agency!"
I shrieked, "You have rehearsal!!"
Well, guess what? That was the last we talked about it and Golda didn't go to rehearsal. There is just something very unglamorous about slinging a 15-year-old over your shoulder, shoving her in the trunk of your car and dropping her off at youth symphony. I mean, her thousand-dollar flute could get damaged.
I was livid. Livid! Golda uses her agency and this is what she comes up with? Like I said, curse the ortho for inflicting pain right before rehearsal. Golda was acting irrationally because of the emotional and physical duress of her recent visit to the orthodontist, is what I think. What else would make her want to exercise her free agency, when she has a perfectly reasonable mother to do that for her?
Here's the kicker: When we hashed it out later, I asked Golda what possessed her to dig in her heels like that. She said in a tiny voice, "I thought you'd still make me go." Aha! I interpret that to mean, "Mom and Dad, I'm trusting you to create and define boundaries for me, and then enforce them." Golda probably wouldn't go that far, but I think it's true of all young people. In addition, I feel a need to point out to my children that their responsibilities are actually more important than their "rights."
Well, I thought we had all learned our lesson. Then a few days later, I got this text from Golda concerning wind ensemble auditions:
See that scary face I texted her? (Tip your head to the left.) I meant for it to look like a 300-pound Mr. Miyage with control issues. I think she got it. Scott and I later told her that she could either audition for wind ensemble, thus creating more opportunities for scholarships, or she could get a job at Lagoon to pay for her college.
Golda is an outstanding person with many laudable qualities, a strong work ethic, excellent grades, a rock-solid testimony of the gospel, numerous talents and a desire to do right. She has it all together. However, she is not an adult. It's nice to know that Scott and I aren't completely irrelevant quite yet. We love you, Golda! Now go practice.
I said, "No...you have parents."
Golda fumed, "I have agency!"
I shrieked, "You have rehearsal!!"
Well, guess what? That was the last we talked about it and Golda didn't go to rehearsal. There is just something very unglamorous about slinging a 15-year-old over your shoulder, shoving her in the trunk of your car and dropping her off at youth symphony. I mean, her thousand-dollar flute could get damaged.
I was livid. Livid! Golda uses her agency and this is what she comes up with? Like I said, curse the ortho for inflicting pain right before rehearsal. Golda was acting irrationally because of the emotional and physical duress of her recent visit to the orthodontist, is what I think. What else would make her want to exercise her free agency, when she has a perfectly reasonable mother to do that for her?
Here's the kicker: When we hashed it out later, I asked Golda what possessed her to dig in her heels like that. She said in a tiny voice, "I thought you'd still make me go." Aha! I interpret that to mean, "Mom and Dad, I'm trusting you to create and define boundaries for me, and then enforce them." Golda probably wouldn't go that far, but I think it's true of all young people. In addition, I feel a need to point out to my children that their responsibilities are actually more important than their "rights."
Well, I thought we had all learned our lesson. Then a few days later, I got this text from Golda concerning wind ensemble auditions:
See that scary face I texted her? (Tip your head to the left.) I meant for it to look like a 300-pound Mr. Miyage with control issues. I think she got it. Scott and I later told her that she could either audition for wind ensemble, thus creating more opportunities for scholarships, or she could get a job at Lagoon to pay for her college.
Golda is an outstanding person with many laudable qualities, a strong work ethic, excellent grades, a rock-solid testimony of the gospel, numerous talents and a desire to do right. She has it all together. However, she is not an adult. It's nice to know that Scott and I aren't completely irrelevant quite yet. We love you, Golda! Now go practice.
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