Pushing the Limits

Now, don't hate me but my two oldest children have always been very complient. They do what they are told, usually without question. Every once in a while they would try things that they hadn't been expliciatly told not to do but mostly they were well bahaved. (The oldest has had some trouble adjusting to what it means to be an adult in this house, but that is for another post.)

But my youngest, oh my! She is a stinker! She pushes the limits like you would not believe. She has been told, "No scissors in the bedroom." (Why? Because she has put holes in her bedding, clothes, stuffed animals, hair, etc.) She purposely tries to get her older sibblings in trouble by making up things. She is late coming home from the neighbors'. She has been told not to play with her older sister's make-up and things. So when she comes out of the bathroom smelling like J-Lo perfume, I ask, "What's that smell? Were you playing with the perfume again?" She answers, "No." Does she really think I don't know? I mean, she is nine now. You would think she would start to figure this out.

The two older ones have tried to help her out with this. They tell her, "You know, Mom knows everything. You can't lie to her. She will find out." But she does not listen.


Mom: "Did you clean your room?"
Youngest: "Yes."
Mom: "Do I need to check?"
Youngest: "No, I'll go check."
20 minutes later
Youngest: "I checked, it's clean."



Mom: "Did you brush your teeth?"
Youngest: "Yes."
Mom: "Then why is your toothbrush still dry?"
Youngest: (with exaperation) "I don't know! I brushed! I am not lying!"


And so it goes. Now we are grounding her periodically and she is losing more serious privialges like computer and TV. But this just causes her to mope around the house with an attitude that says, "How could you possibly be such horrible parents and inconvenience my life like this."

I am at my wits end. I am tired. She better figure it out soon or things could start to get ugly.