Thursday, April 24, 2008

Happy Birthday? Not really.

A few nights before his birthday I had a talk with the boy about what he'd like for his birthday. After the litany of things that he wants but won't get (iPod touch, laptop) he moved on to things he has a chance of receiving (Mario Strikers, UnderArmor Sweatshirt, Boston College gear). I told him that I had picked up a few gifts and would probably take him shopping with me to get something else.

Fast forward to Monday morning.

I had only picked him up a few shirts, shorts and a BC hat. Nothing major, he needs summer clothes so these gifts fell right into the useful category. I fully planned on taking him to the mall that afternoon but hadn't mentioned it to him. He opens his presents minutes after his 7:36 a.m. birthday. He appears happy.

Fast forward ten minutes.

He's lying on the couch all covered in blankets for the next half hour and then proceeds to go to his bedroom and lie down for another half hour. So unlike him, I thought he was ill.

Turns out he was just pissed.

He makes a snide comment about how much we spent on all of his gifts ($10.00 was his estimate) and rolls his eyes. I sat in stunned silence.

I then proceeded to take the BC Hat, the shirts and all but one pair of shorts off of the table.

I took them away and left one pair of shorts. I told him that the shorts I left on the table cost $10.00 and that he could content himself with those. Which, naturally, left him in a foul mood for awhile longer.

Funny though, maybe because he's a boy, he's over it in like a half hour. He's moved on.

He's worn the shorts twice and only asked for his other clothes back once. Request denied.
He will probably get the clothes at some point (he's in desperate need of summer clothes anyway). Probably.

He's had such a bad case of the haves and havenots lately, the grass is most definitely greener over on J. Drive (where most of the spoiled kids on his bus live) - with their $300.00 iPods and cell phones and hundred dollar sneakers. He's spent the last few weeks letting us know just how badly we are failing him - I mean, why can't we just get him everything he wants? There seems to be no conceivable reason, in his mind, anyway.

I'm sure it's a phase. It's got to be a phase, right?

5 comments:

blackbird said...

I'd be very tempted to show him his dental bills.
But I'm not nearly as nice as you are.

You won't let it BE anything BUT a phase. He'll be fine.

Amy said...

My son has done much the same lately - thinking he might get a laptop for his birthday - so what did I do? Realized it's way past time this boy started doing charity work!! Yep, that'll put things in perspective in a hurry!! (I may have also written out in long form just exactly how many starving World Vision children the price of a new laptop could feed for a year...may have, I'm just sayin')

Mig said...

Well, we all contribute to our children's future therapy sessions, so just add this to the list.

Taking away the clothing, BRILLIANT.

That road to being a productive person in society is a long one, consider this a pot hole.

:-)

~**Dawn**~ said...

He doesn't see the valuable life lessons he's learning now, but some day he will thank you. When I wanted something big that my dad couldn't get for me, I learned to save my allowance/babysitting money. Got a true appreciation for money spent after earning it. I wasn't happy at the time but I know that I am a better person for learning it young.

Jennifer said...

Yep it's a phase, and like BB said, you won't let it BE anything but a phase.

My kid is the same way. All his friends got Nintendo DS's and all he has is a crappy gameboy, PS2, and Gamecube and N64.

I remember being that way as a teenager, all my friends had Varnet shirts and penny loafers and I did not.

But we all grow up, and the morals we grow up with are far better then any iPod or laptop ;)

I'd gladly take " worst mother in the universe award" for that!