Where is She Getting That From?

Fine. That’s just fine, Mom,” my daughter said, folding her arms across her chest. I had told her she couldn’t do something she wanted to because she’d been arguing with her brother too much. And the tone of that comment was the last straw.

“We have a new rule around here,” I announced. “No more sarcasm.” We’d been hearing a lot of it lately and I’d had enough.

Where’s she getting it from? I wondered.

A few days later, I got my answer. And it wasn’t the answer I was expecting. Or the answer I wanted.

We were finishing breakfast and my daughter asked me if she could watch TV before school since she was done getting ready early. I told her no (we have a rule about that one too), and she wasn’t happy. “You’re not fair,” she said. She left the room moping.

I followed her. “That’s great,” I told her. “You’re leaving for school sad, all because of TV? That’s really great.” I shook my head.

She turned and looked at me. “Mom,” she said softly, “you’re being sarcastic. I thought you said we couldn’t be sarcastic any more.”

OOPS.

Is that where she learned it?

I didn’t know I was being sarcastic. I was just frustrated that we were going to say goodbye for the day with her being upset. After all, she knows there’s no TV before school. I didn’t realize…

“You’re right,” I told her. I apologized and promised to follow the rule, just like her.

Since that day, things have changed around here. Maybe it ‘s the fact that my daughter saw me make a mistake and fess up. Or maybe it’s that she knows we’re striving for the same goal, together. Either way, I’m thankful for the end result–that sarcasm has pretty much disappeared from this house.

And I think the next time I wonder where are my kids getting that from?, I need to ask instead, are they learning it from me?

Comments

  1. Hey Genny I am enjoying your blog! I nodded my head through this entire entry — I know EXACTLY what you are saying! My five year old recently mirrored some sarcasm back at me. He asked me where his Nintendo was, and in my usual manner I told him it was wherever he left it. He insisted it wasn’t, so I pointed to the box behind him and said “Uh, try right there, mister, in the box” (which is where I was sure it was.) He walked over to it and said, “Oh, this box? Let me check…” Then slowly he opened it, saying. “Oh, no, nothing, IT’S NOT THERE…” The tone in his voice was so sarcastic I was stunned!Well, I didn’t know he had already looked there (without finding it), and he knew if he told me I’d just make him look there again. I’d probably say something sarcastic to him as he opened it as well.So there you go. Guilty as charged. I guess I might as well admit where he learned how to yell “KNOCK IT OFF!”:-)

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