- what? which thing, event, circumstance, etc.?: an emphatic interrogative, expressing perplexity or wonder whatever can she mean by that?
- of no matter what type, degree, quality, etc. to make whatever repairs are needed
Who knew one simple word that we use 100 times a day could cause my eye to twitch violently?
As my boys grow older this word has become one of their favorite parting words said to me.
"Whatever Mom..." as they walk away.
That simple, seemingly harmless word can turn this calm & rational mother into a raging, eye popping out of her head, spittle clinging to her lip, wild banshee.
I find it hard to control myself when they choose to do the "Whatever Mom" exit routine.
It is almost a challenge. I can not... No, I WILL NOT let this be the last word said between my child and I.
I see it as dismissive, disrespectful, and just plain rude!
"Whatever Mom"... screams "I don't care what you say or think Mom, I am not listening." to me.
I know that this is a common thing from teens.
I know they think I am overreacting when I scream. "Don't you whatever Me!!!" But I can't stand it!
It's one of my buttons.
You know.. those buttons that every parent has that just sends them to the moon faster than just about anything else? "Whatever Mom"... is one of mine.
And make no mistake about it, our children are very aware of these "buttons" that is why they use them so often!
The "Whatever Mom" exit strategy is one of my least favorite things!
It's almost as bad as the No response to a direct question technique. But thats another rant, for another day.
What are some of your major "Buttons" when it comes to your kids?
Please tell me you have them too and I'm not the only spaz mom out here.
9 amazing comments. Talk To Me!!:
you are most assuredly not the only spaz mom in the out here. you and i are in this together......i hate the "whatever" thing as much as you do! i just want to pinch someone's head clean off their shoulders when i hear it! or cast them into a burning pit, or feed them liver and beets for a month, show their nekkid baby pictures to the whole word, or tell everyone they eat boogers! yes, i would have to say it turns me into a spaz mom too!
Do you recall that during our last argument I "whatever"ed you? And you didn't let me have the last word, even though I hung up on you.
So... sorry 'bout that. :o)
- your spoiled rotten, "city girl", little sister
We all have buttons - dawdling is my button - I mean really I don't get why things take 10 times longer than they should. My ds-11 is the king of dawdling - UGH!
I also hate the "whatever" response to my comments. But what really gets me is the non-response.
My middle daughter refuses to communicate in any way. Unless I am going to buy her something.
What would you like for dinner? No response.
Did you have fun at the game last night? No response.
Would you like me to knock you along-side the head? No response.
Why are teenagers so difficult?
With me ( I deal with other people's kids and can't do much in the way of retaliation,but let me tell you,sometimes I would dearly LOVE to retaliate!) it's the
"I didn't do it !!!"
said in a whiney tone of voice that gets to me the worst!
You catch them red-handed with a marking pen in their hand and their name scribbled over and over on your tax bill... and they tell you "I didn't do it, it was somebody else".
There's a reason that some species eat their young. It's probably because their young say "whatever" to them.
"Whatever" sends me, too.
And "Oh.....yeah...." when I ask my 12 year old daughter if she heard what I said/asked/told her 20 MINUTES ago?!?!?!!?
But what gets me most is when they pretend not to hear me. Mind you, they can hear Hubby and I make plans to go to Wal Mart thru closed and locked doors, blaring TV's, bass driven CD's, and five feet of insulated walls....but a yell out of "Chores to be done!" and everyone is suddenly deaf.
Gotta love the "whatever" response. Worse yet is the "What.Ev.Er" The worst is when "what.ev.er" is twinned with the rolling of the eyes. Gotta love teens.
My daughter gets in big trouble with that so she just tries to get away with "Okay mom" in the same whatever tone. It is not the words as much as the tone that they are delivered in. The tone conveys "shut up dummy" to my ears.
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