Walking out of the Wallingford YMCA Sunday, I spied that my 13-year-old was playing basketball with friends on the court at the east end of Doolittle Park, about 100 yards away. Since it was 5 p.m. and the first day of daylight-saving time, I was pretty sure he wanted to stay but decided to check. Instead of driving over, I called his cell phone.
“Dan I’m leaving the Y do you want a ride home?” I asked, hearing dribbling in the background.
“No. I’m going to stay for a while,” he said.
“You’re sure?”
“Yep,” he replied.
Driving away I had a funny feeling. Danny has this habit of saying he doesn’t want a ride and then calling the house for one 10 minutes later. The first time I thought it was a joke.
“Are you kidding?” I asked. “I just left the Y ten minutes ago. Why did you say you didn’t want a ride?”
The second time I remarked to my wife that I had lost faith in a school system that awarded Danny all A’s and B’s. Danny’s older brother, Michael, thought it was hilarious. He thinks I’m harder on him and that these incidents are proof Danny is spoiled.
Somewhere between the second and third time, my wife raised the idea that Danny is not stupid and instead well aware of how unreasonable his request is. In other words, he is doing it to be annoying.
I stuck up for Danny, proving Michael’s point.
“You don’t how to handle him,” Michael, 15, interjected.
At about 5:15 p.m. this past Sunday, I was sitting down to my first real meal of the day – a nice fresh chicken cutlet and pasta. The phone rang. I saw it was Danny.
“I don’t believe it,” I said to my wife as I moved toward the phone. “It’s Danny. He can’t want a ride.”
“Dad, can you come get me?” he asked with no hesitation.
“Danny I just asked you if you wanted ride. Now walk home.”
Doolittle Park is about two miles from our house.
“Walk?’ he said.
I’ll finish the story in an upcoming blog. Let me know what you think I did and offer suggestions on how to stop teen-agers from believing their parents have nothing else to do but drive them around.
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3 comments:
You let him walk for a while and then picked him up.
I am betting that you caved and went to pick him up, although he definitely should have walked home. He is old enough to walk alone, especially if he has a cell phone.
Ralph now we all know you wanted to make him walk home but you just couldnt do it could you. Make him walk home. Maybe after 30 to 40 times he would start taking the ride offered. Its so easy dispensing advice when they're not your kids
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