…or Oh Dad!

We”ve all said it, and most of us have heard it!

A roll of the eyes, a huff, a sigh, a down right blood curdling scream followed by an “Oh, Mom!” can be pretty annoying.

But, look back in your life and think of the things you’ve heard and you’ve said and mull them over.

It’s not just the simple, silly “Keep making that face and it will stay that way!” comments that rile the teens and tweens of the world, it’s really stupid things we say and hear.

“Do as I say, not as I do.”

Really, if it’s so stupid that I can’t do it, why are you?

“You’re the best/greatest/tops.”

They probably aren’t and it may give them a false sense of ability that puts them in a position of embarrassment.

“Stop bothering me.”

Ok, it’s too late to re-think that ’should I have kids’ question, but you did, so let them bother away, you have to take every opportunity to teach them and to learn from them.

“You’re so clumsy/lazy/sloppy!”

Although I think most people in the world have too much self-esteem, little things like this can really hurt, and really stick.  And a lie told often enough does become the truth.  Just stay away from the name Grace if you remember yourself as a klutz!

“Stop crying.” or “I’ll give you something to cry about.”

Seriously, can YOU stop crying?  And apparently they already have something to cry about.

“Why can’t you be more like your sister.” 

This may be a tad confusing and quite frankly if you say that often enough, you don’t have a Prada Pump to stand on when he comes out in a prom dress or a cheerleading outfit.

Kids are individuals, and that’s a good thing.

A teacher who taught my daughter, once said to me UPon finding my son in her class, “They couldn’t be any more different, could they?”  Knowing where this was going, I simply replied, “Yeah, I know, isn’t it great!”

The conversation stopped!

“You know better than that!”

Maybe not.  Maybe you should take this as an opportunity to …what’s the word I’m looking for…PARENT!

“Wait til your Dad gets home.”

I’m guessin’ he’s hoping you’ll take care of it before he does, and you should.  Nipping it in the bud usually works better.  Why let the kid stew all day wondering if Dad’s gonna’ go all Rambo on him?  And you know, Dad may not have a problem with it.  Either way, you lose, and so does the kid.

“Can’t you walk any faster?”

Probably not.  Measure your legs, then measure theirs.  I’m guessing you’re a tad taller than that three year old, so he’s probably walking as fast as he can!  Slow down, smell a rose, let him look at the Lego window, and if you’re in that big a hurry, rent a stroller!  Well, unless he’s 16.  But, then he’s probably not going to the mall with you anyway, and if he does, he’ll be at least 10 stores behind you the entire trip.  What self respecting teen wants to be seen at the mall with his mom?

“Are you going out looking like that?” 

I’m guessing that was the plan.  Frankly, unless they are over-exposed, indecent, or have profanity on the T-shirt, let it go.  Purple hair doesn’t last forever, and guy-liner washes off once the other kids tell him he looks “gay”.  But, pissing Mom off, now that’s priceless!!  Give him/her the keys, make sure he/she knows not to text and drive, know where they are going, and rest assured that outfit will be in the Goodwill bag by Tuesday!

“Don’t make me turn this car around.”

They know you want to go to the mall just as badly as they do, and they know that dress/shoes/purse is on sale, and you’re not going to turn the car around…unless you see a better deal!

And for Pete’s sake, don’t do the Duggar thing and say, “Go ask your brothers!”

Seems conversation and communication are on my mind lately. 

Wanna keep your job? 

Here are some “communication errors” you might wanna avoid!

The Boss is important, and there are just some things that aren’t said.

Here are a few:

Not my job!  Yeah, keep saying that and it probably won’t be much longer.  Really, I’ve always said at work,  the first line of my job description is “Do what insert boss’ name here tell me to do.”  And frankly, I’ve used that philosophy for years. 

I’ve had a job of one sort or another since I was 14 years old.  I learned early on that I need to follow directions as long as it wasn’t “immoral, illegal, or unethical”.  It may really be beneath you, but get it done, even if you have to make someone else do it.  And what’s the big deal about ethics anyway?

Not my fault!  Maybe not, but if it falls in the realm of your department and or your responsibility, then the end result is your fault.  If you’re not afraid to take the credit for all the good that comes from your department, then don’t shirk the blame!

I’ve only got 2 hands!  Well grow a pair, and do what’s needed to get the job done.  This type of statement, and there are hundreds of ways to say it, usually makes the boss feel like you’re in the mood for “Tea and Sympathy”.  And if the company is falling around him, there will be little.  So buck UP, get to work, and get things done.  You may be trying to be funny, and it may fall on deaf ears…know your audience.  He may be the “poster child for the humor impaired”.

I’m over qualified for this job.  No, no you’re not.  You may have qualifications that would allow you to do more for the company, but right now, this is what’s needed of you.  Your boss cares less about your MBA now that you’re on staff, and more about your production.  So, get to work, use that fancy schmancy edumacation of yours and find someone else to pawn the task off onto.

Anyone could do this job.  Ok, then move over!  I’m sure there are hundreds if not thousands of 50+ year olds that would love to have it since they’ve been down-sized, right-sized, displaced, surplussed screwed out of a job.

Can’t be done!  If the boss thought it couldn’t be done, he’d never have asked, unless there really is a conspiracy to get rid of you…and from the looks of things, there just might be.  If it’s needed, it can be done.  You may have to get very creative, think outside the bun, but you have to deliver.

If I were in your place… Well, you’re probably not gonna’ be sayin’ crap like that.  So keep your trap shut and bring in some results.

Not my problem.  Guess again.  If you work there, then it is your problem.  You have to be committed to the success of those around you, and you have to be committed to the success of the company.  If not, you’ll have more problems than you bargained for.

It’s not the skirt that makes your butt look big!  Do I really need to go into detail here?

When it comes to business, “See no evil, Hear no evil, and Do no evil” usually don’t apply, but “Speak no evil”…now, there’s a keeper!

Get to work!  Quit whining!

Take it from someone who knows.  Bullies are a pain in the butt.

I was a small child, wore todler clothes to the first grade, and I weighed in at 37 pounds, I was six years old.

A walking target.

Well, researchers have found that kids who get bullied and snubbed by peers are probably gonna’ have problems in other parts of their lives as well.

No kiddin?

Supposedly, there are at least three factors in a child’s behavior that can lead to social rejection.  (Social rejection, now isn’t that a pretty phrase for bullied?)

The causes are, according to researchers:

1. Reading nonverbal cues.
2. Understanding their social meaning
3. Thinking of options to resolve social conflicts.

Those who are supposed to know say that 10 to 13 percent of children “experience some sort of social rejection”.   I’m not so sure where they got these numbers, but I’m guessin’ it’s a tad higher.  Everyone is rejected socially at one point or another.  But, not everyone is bullied.

They also tell us in this report that being bullied can result in mental health problems, can increase the polibility that a child will get poor grades, drop out of school, or develop substance abuse problems.   Clark McKown of the Rush Neurobehavioral Center in Chicago says, “It really is an under-addressed public health issue.”

Another ‘expert’ says what a kid learns on the playground could show up in later life.  He claims that when children interact without the guidance of an authority figure,  is when children experiment with the relationship styles they will have as adults.

Ok, who’s leaving their kids alone?  I’m sorry, I can’t even fake surprise on that one.

It all stems from the fact that the number one need of any person is to be liked by other people.  Well duh!

We all want to be liked, but we’re not all gonna’ like everybody. 

After a boat load of studies, and a truck load of money, they claim to have found a few things.

1. Kids don’t see clues.
2. Kids don’t understand clues.
3. Kids don’t know how to react to clues.

They even have a book now that they are recommending.  “It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success” (Touchstone, 2006).  I’m sure it’s just an awesome read!  And they claim it works for kids who don’t have disabilites as well. 

These experts have a “process”, and it’s all geared to the bullied, not the bully.

To teach social skills, Lavoie advises a five-step approach in his book.  He claims the process works for children with or without learning disabilities and is best conducted immediately after a transgression has been made.  (Transgression being made by the bullied!!!!)

1) Ask the child what happened and listen without judgment.

2) Ask the child to identify their mistake. (Often children only know that someone got upset, but don’t understand their own role in the outcome.)

3) Help the child identify the cue they missed or mistake they made, by asking something like: “How would you feel if Emma was hogging the tire swing?” Instead of lecturing with the word “should,” offer options the child “could” have taken in the moment, such as: “You could have asked Emma to join you or told her you would give her the swing after your turn.”

4) Create an imaginary but similar scenario where the child can make the right choice. For example, you could say, “If you were playing with a shovel in the sand box and Aiden wanted to use it, what would you do?”

5) Lastly, give the child “social homework” by asking him to practice this new skill, saying: “Now that you know the importance of sharing, I want to hear about something you share tomorrow.”

I for one, think this is a bunch of crap. 

The only thing they got right is listen to the child without judgement.  Now, there’s a parenting tip I can live with.

As to asking the child to identify their mistake: being smaller, stranger, or just different isn’t a mistake.  Ask the bully why he’s a jerk.

I don’t think the kid missed anything other than the opportunity to get the heck out of there before “Felon of the Future” jumped him.  And maybe Emma’s just a big, mean, hateful, future skank!  And maybe he’s just a little wuss!

I think kids have enough imaginary scenarios as it is.  Are mommy and daddy gonna stay together;  am I gonna’ get to the bus without gettin’ my ass kicked?; is the sadistic gym teacher gonna’ make me stand out front in dodge ball?  (OK, I’m not over a few things.)

Social homework? You can’t get most kids to do the homework from school.   Teach the kid to fight, tell him to kick the bully’s ass or die tryin’!

Other kids not liking a child is not the end of the world. Surprising as it is, there are people out there who don’t like me!   But it has nothing to do with bullying.   The kid may have gotten a swirlie because the bigger boys didn’t like him, or as I said before, he may just be a big wuss.  But that doesn’t make it his fault.  The bigger boys are at fault here. 

Apparently that “do unto others” crap was lost in translation.

Maybe I was a little dweeb and pantywaist, but that sure as heck didn’t make it right for El Kabong (a girl in the 3rd grade) to kick my ass everyday on the playground.  Thank God that tramp moved that summer!

And maybe Courtney has blue hair, wears fishnet stockings, and anarchy gloves, but I don’t remember a law being passed saying we should fail her, rail at her, or flog her.

Bullies are bullies.  Bullies need to be stopped. 

Just because the kid next to you in class is weird or just because you can, doesn’t mean you should take his lunch money. 

Sadly, there are bullies in all walks of life.  Middle School, High School, College and the workplace are all just extensions of Elementary School.  Generally, once a bully, always a bully.  And conversely, one would think once bullied, always bullied. 

Ah, not so.

There’s a way out.

So, to everyone of you who’s been beat UP, stuffed in a locker, dragged into the girls room, had toothpaste put in your hair at camp while sleeping, or had someone take your dessert at lunch, I say this:

Shut UP, Stand UP, get mad as hell and don’t take it anymore.

I hate texting.

I do it, but I hate it.

And yes, I text when I drive.

When it becomes illegal, I’ll quit…maybe.

But I hate it. 

I love the sound of my children’s voices, and would rather they call.

But, in this “modern” age, texting is the way.  It’s easy to do when ur n class + all.

So, I txt, jst lk evry 1 els.

BTW, I wish they wld cl me.

I find it amazing that people will send you a quick text rather than call.

I think it’s usually because they have something they want to say that doesn’t require the pleasantries and obligations of a conversation.

Texting is destroying the English Language too.

In class the other day, we were  peer editing.  That’s when one kid writes something and another one checks it for mistakes.  You know, trading papers.

One student changed you’re which was incorrect because the writer should have used your, to ur.

Really, ur.  I’m not making this UP.

But back to the phone. 

Pick it UP.

Call me back.

I’d rather hear your voice!