Why I Sometimes Hate Being a Parent of a Teenage Girl - Part Deux

If you think I sound a bit negative, you are either:

1. A pushover parent  OR
2. Not a parent of a teenager

Here is the text between me and my 16-year-old daughter after I dropped her off at school this morning. Disclaimers:

1. I have been up since 4:50 AM for my morning run (Greggy was my security detail and was roller-blading beside me! I love my husband).
2. I entered my kid's room to wake her up for school, and I was greeted by a room from Slumdog Millionaire.
3. I am PMSing.

I am not that crazy dragon mom who needs to have her kids all 100% Bobby Fischer-like. I am not an unreasonable mom, or a mom with issues.

In fact, I truly believe in respecting and loving my kid, believe in listening and trying to understand her point of view, believe in some sort of democracy at home, etc. The bottom line is that she has it good, okay?

There are really positive moments when I have a glimpse of my daughter being the amazing person that I know she is, and I'm overwhelmed with love and tenderness and caring for her.

But not today.

--

T: Mom, you haven't given me my allowance

Me: Yes I have. 20 on monday incl metropass. 10 on tuesday. 10 tonight when you finish dishes.

T: You didn't give me it because there was dishes this morning..?

Me: Our deal is you do the task first right?

T: And I did the task.. Wow mom, and if you were going to do that.. You should've informed me, now I have no means of lunch

Me: Sorry, you wrote on board you are doing dishes Friday. You finish dishes, you get paid. Don't blame me for not having lunch. Plenty of food in the fridge. And you could have discussed with me in the morning. I am not talking about this anymore.