Pet Peeves

Everyone has their pet peeves.? It could be something like someone always leaving the toilet seat up or drivers that always leave their left turn signal on.? I have plenty of my own.? Toilet paper goes over the roll, not under.? Or a whole slew of driving related pet peeves. But as a parent I never imagined that my list of pet peeves would grow exponentially.? Take for instance these.

We get into the car with a trusty family member (outside of myself or the trusty husband) and the child will concoct a way to insert the phrase “coco ma ding-dong” into the conversation.? And then make you repeat it the entire car ride.? I am fearing for my sanity on an upcoming car trip from Los Angeles to Tacoma.? The first few times he did this it was cute.? Now, it grates on my last nerve.

The child cannot distinguish between the words why and how.? Instead of asking why something is the way it is he will insert the word how, totally changing the meaning of the question.? I answer the question asked (or try to the best of my ability).? However, this is not the question he asked because he used the wrong word and he gets pissed off.? Take for example this: “mommy, how does that light change (talking about the traffic signals)”? This taxes my mental capacity.? The real question is, “why does that light change.”? Much easier to answer.

My child lacks the ability to blow on his food if it is hot.? He will take a bit of hot food not realizing it is hot, then have a fit about it.? We tell him to blow on it and he says he can’t.? I’m just thankful he doesn’t throw it at me anymore.

And speaking of I can’t, that’s another one.? The other day he misplaced his frisbee.? He whined about not being able to find the frisbee.? I told him to look for it.? “I caaaan’t!” he replied.? Not meaning he didn’t want to, but rather he would have me do it for him.? I did not look for the frisbee.

The list goes on and on, but many of them are in the moment types of things.? So what do your kids do that drive you nuts?

15 Comment

  1. Jan Bartel says: Reply

    My pet peeve is your latest screen for your blog. Very hard on these old eyes to read. I can do it its just not very easy.
    My other pet peeve is people who drive and talk on their cell phones. Look forward to seeing you all next month. Hugs from Aunt Jan

  2. The list of Slugger-things that annoy me can go on and on. Here’s the top two:

    1) Answering questions with questions. e.g. “How was camp, Slugger?” “Why do you want to know?” Or “Did you make your bed, Slugger?” “I put my bike away.” Grr.

    2) Ignoring me. Slugger has a habit of ignoring when he doesn’t want to hear what I’m saying. It’s very clear that he hears me, but he’s ignoring. Then, when I start to blow my stack, he sputters “wh… wha… what?” and shakes his head as if he just heard me. It’s the most singularly bad piece of acting in the whole world.

  3. *insert whining voice in the below*
    I can’t walk up the stairs.
    I can’t walk down the stairs.
    I can’t pick up my toys.
    I can’t pick up my clothes.
    I can’t go get the toy that I want.
    I can’t sleep.
    yada yada yada yada.

    And yet it’s amazing the things they CAN do … including many things I’d prefer if they didn’t do …

  4. Lena says: Reply

    OMG, you should so totally NOT ask me this question while I still have 16 more days of single-parenting living in my parent’s house.

    Right now, just about everything annoys me.

    The two current behaviours topping list:
    * I don’t like what’s for lunch or dinner (it’s not going to change buddy, grandma & grandpa’s cooking) and then he eats whatever I throw on his plate.

    * I need help! (In a very whiny voice) from the almost 4-year-old who knew very well how to use the bathroom all by herself before we got here.

    And your new design is a little bit too dramatic for me – very vampire-like … I’m agreeing with Jan.

    But I miss you and the rest of the girls like crazy, can’t wait to de-brief the summer!

  5. She is almost 2. Everything I say, request, or ask is answered with “NO NO”. I could ask if she wants ice cream and she will yell “NO NO” and then nod her head yes. The attitude is growing daily and it is not going to be pretty. But it is pretty normal so I remind myself that 3 will be even worse and I’ll miss this stage.

  6. Trish says: Reply

    Wow, you hit a hot topic with me today. My twin 6 year olds are really testing my limits. They can be the best of friends and then the bickering will start. Two weeks and two days until the beginning of school, not that I am counting.

    Two of my hot buttons right now are:

    My boys will say “Can I guess” instead of saying “Can I choose”. For example, I will sometimes let everyone pick what they would like to have for dinner and they will say “Mom, can I guess pasta?” My response: what does guess pasta mean?

    Also, they will say “I told Dad if I could have dessert”. They really meant to say “asked” instead of “told”.

    We are working on it.

    I would have to agree with the comments about the new blog page. I typically love what you do with your page but not feeling this one so much.

  7. Lauri says: Reply

    where to begin?

    repetitive questions… asking the same thing over & over, when I promptly answered her. Mama will the circus come back ? yes Livi.. next summer. She will continue to badger me about the circus for an hour

    always asking ” why did you say ____?”

    My girl is in general a non-stop chatter box, and for a talkative person like me.. she talks all the freakin time.

  8. DebiP says: Reply

    Having a child the same age and Ethnic back ground as yours I loathe the little Russian that comes out in him once in a while…

    Griffin you will have to wait…”NO momma I WILL do it now” stern look from momma….a little (not much) quieter no I will do it momma.

    The big one…I won’t even go there.

  9. mom says: Reply

    I’ve mellowed greatly over the years BUT cell phone courtesy is a big one. When one enters a public place, they should show courtesy to others. Attempting to ask necessary ?’s to keep people moving and being ignored is… RUDE! Common courtesy’s such as saying please and thank you… whoa, where’d that go?

  10. Mommy. Bath? Mommy. Alex bath. Cars in bath? These cars in bath? Mommy? Bath now wit these cars? Yeah, these cars. Mommy? Mommy. Mommy bath now mommy. With cars. Bath with these cars. Mommy now. Not later, OK?

    Christ help me.

  11. Forgot to add: Mommy apple juice. Apple JUICE. JOOOOOSSS. Mommy? Mommy. Mommy apple juice please. APULLLLL JOOOOOSSSSSSS. Mommy? Mommy…

  12. Raissa says: Reply

    LILU Dallas.. Mool-tee-paaaasss

  13. I can’t stand the tattling over stupid stuff. My best (frustrated) response is, “work it out amongst yourselves and you better not tell me about it unless it’s life-threatening!”

    At least for now you are spared that one.

  14. Patti says: Reply

    – Narrating through everything freakin’ thing they do. (DH and I talked through everything when they came home, explaining what we were doing to teach them their new language and also to teach them how to do things. It worked to our advantage for quite a while, as they learned to speak English pretty quickly and accuarately, but man, are we paying for it now!)

    – The annoying tattling over pretty much nothing. (Is there blood? Broken limbs? SETTLE IT YOURSELVES! Dang.)

    – dirty, used, exposed tampons in an open garbage can. Ick.

  15. Melissa says: Reply

    Love the header!

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