Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ask Me 'After'

Does this sound familiar to any of you?

Mom, after my nap can we go outside and play with water balloons?

Mom, after I finish my vegetables can I have some graham crackers?

Mom, after I clean up my room, can I play with PlayDoh?

Mom, after school can we go to the park?

After, after, after. Sheesh! I feel like she's trying to back me into a corner. She will ask me can she do things/ have stuff hours before the after. Good grief!! And then, if I agree, you know what happens.

If you barely take a nap and you get up fifty times in thirty minutes and I finally throw up my hands and say forget it but you still want to go outside and play water balloons because I said we could, after.

If it takes you forty-five minutes to finish your vegetables and everyone else has already excused themselves from the table and I've already finished cleaning the kitchen but you still want graham crackers because I said you could, after.

If I pick you up from school and the weather report is calling for thunderstorms but it's not actually raining at the moment and I try to explain this to you but you have a hissy fit because I said we could, after.


New rule....don't ask me now. Ask me after!

Can we go to the park after school? Ask me after school.
Can I have a treat after dinner? Ask me after dinner.
Can I watch a movie after my nap? Ask me after your nap.

Ahhhh...much better.

3 comments:

  1. Great post, my response is "Maybe" and "It depends."

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  2. That's a good rule of thumb. I always find myself saying, "Maybe."

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  3. She'll be a great negotiator when she gets older.

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