GENERATION GAP

I asked my son to do his homework last night when he was playing with his “tamiya”.
10 minutes later I asked him the second times and he said..” Okay mom.. a moment” but he kept playing. He was slowly walking into his room to do his homework only when I snapped at him the third time the next 15 minutes.

After he finished his homework, he washed his hand ready for dinner. When I set dinner for him, he starred at me and said slowly.. “Mom.. please do not always yell at me when you asked me to do anything”.

I stunned and starred back at him a few moments before I explained: “Okay let’s talk about it.. did you remember I have never snapped at you the first time I asked you a favor.. I even tried to repeat it the second times still in good manner, but you did not pay attention.. that’s why I got angry with you. I did not enjoy my self yelling at you.. but you often forced me to..
Let’s make a deal… Mom will not yell at you anymore from now, but on the other hand, please always do your assignments in time and no arguing when I asked you to do me a favor.. Could you do that..?”
He just shrugged his shoulder and said “Let’s see..”
End of discussion.. and we closed it with a big hug.

Soon I had a chance to test our agreement.. I asked him to brush his teeth and wash his hand and feet before sleeping. He did it right away without no more “a moment…” or arguing like he usually did.. I was wondering whether “our agreement” would only temporarily workable..
This morning he still behaved when I woke him up and asked him to finish his breakfast and took a bath before school..

I plan to hang “our agreement” on the wall tonight, just in front of his desk so that he can read it every day..
Hopefully this agreement will last longer than I could expect.. and will prevent me from having a premature ageing… .


PS : I was wondering last night when I was about to sleep whether I would have the same courage he had when I was a kid.. discussing what I wanted or did not want to have with my parents .. The era really has changed.. hasn’t it?

(ZO)