I politely asked "little-miss-six-year-old-going-on-thirteen" to please pick up her room and make her bed. Not a huge request, right?
About thirty minutes passed, and I heard happy girl screams outside on the trampoline. I nicely asked girl-child to please come inside for a moment, which she did. I figured she had possibly not completed the task I asked of her.
"Did you pick up your room like I asked, sweetie?"
"Yes, DAWN SCOTT, I did!" she replied, with a half-smile and slightly wicked look in her eyes.
Wait, what? (I can't imagine what my face looked like at this point). Dawn Scott? dawn scott? DAWN SCOTT?? What the whaaaaaaa?
What elementary school-aged child calls their parent by their first name?
"Excuse me?" I asked. (trying not to laugh, trying not to show the seething upset within, trying to understand this new disrespect - or understand if it even was disrespect).
"I even made my bed like you asked, DAWN!"
At that point, boy-child chuckled, and then that chuckle made her laugh-out-loud, and then it turned into full-on roaring with each chiming in, "dawn scott, haha," "dawn scott!"
How does this happen? Since when is it acceptable to call a parent by their first name? And are they really serious, or was this just a joke to take my temperature and see how I might react?
I really didn't react at all. I simply said, "Funny. Aren't you two just full of it?" Figuring that not making it a big deal may be the best route to take.
Then I read an article in the Wall Street Journal, which basically says calling mom or dad by their first name basically means parents are ceding authority to their children. In other words, it's an attempt by a child to gain the upper-hand.
I certainly hope that's not the case with my two littles, and I'll just chalk this up as one tiny hiccup as they test the waters of independence from momma. For now, I'm demanding "yes, ma'am," "yes, sir," "no, ma'am," "no, sir." And "MOM."
Haha! Our 4 year old likes to say our names when she is telling stories or playing. I think there is a fascination that we, Mommy & Daddy, have other names because it alludes to a life before them or apart from them which, from their perspective, is hard to imagine. If the kids are older though, almost teen or teens, then I would agree that it is a challenge to authority. For now, we will let them play because we know they undrstand who is really in charge -- even though all my girls have me wrapped around their finger!
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