There is saying something and then, there is SAYING something, or saying SOMETHING or SAY something. It’s all in the emphasis, tone, stress – it’s all in how you say it.Such was this morning’s lesson to my tone-deaf son who has begun to talk to me like I have become stupid overnight. One day, out of the blue, he starts talking to me the way he and his friends talk to each other. (A.K.A disrespect.) It’s the tone with the “duh” implied. (You remember. The same tone you used with your parents when your hormones first started acting up?) 
And make a mistake or misspeak? You are crowned dimwit of the prom. I abdicated with a brief but poignant speech about what tune that I will dance to just as the bus was coming down the road.
I hated to have him go off to school still stinging from my “music lesson” so as he is getting out the door I yelled, “I LOVE you and have a GOOD day!”
He looked back and said, “Me TOO and OKAY!”
By George, I think he’s got it!
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“A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day.†~ Bill Watterson
5 responses so far ↓
1 Karen Vogel // Oct 4, 2007 at 8:01 am
Let me guess – he’s 12?
2 Joe // Oct 5, 2007 at 12:21 am
I remember those days…I mean being that flip kid in middle school. Ahhhh, good times, good times.
3 Dee // Oct 5, 2007 at 6:56 am
Hehehe it’s not just the things they say either is it – my 9 year old dear daughter has this great “what-EVer” expression on her face that she has learned not to pull within my eyesight! It’s amazing how they change seemingly overnight sometimes! You get up in the morning and there is a different little person sat there at the brekkie table!!
4 Rebecca // Oct 5, 2007 at 10:47 am
Oh man I had a tone & an eyeroll that seriously frustrated my parents – I don’t know how we all survived sometimes.
5 Keli // Oct 5, 2007 at 11:09 pm
When my older son started treating me with the Duh! attitude, I told him if he did it again, I’d act just like him for 24 hours. When his attitude reappeared, I did just that. He barely lasted twenty minutes before begging me to stop. Worked like a charm!