Remember, a few posts back, I went to the restaurant with the Teen, for lunch. She wasn't feeling good so I kept her home - she had strep throat, so I didn't want her 'spreading the love' at school.
I asked her if she would like to come to the restaurant with me for lunch - it was a beautiful day outside and I thought it would be nice to be out with 'my girl'. She first said, "No, thank you". I insisted (this is where I went wrong, as the parent of a teen! I should have said "ok", took my book and headed out by myself to have a nice, peaceful lunch). But, again, I insisted....
Teen: "It'll take me 1 hour to get ready, I haven't showered".
Me: "How can a shower take 1 hour?"
Teen: "I have to wash, dry and straighten my hair, MOM ! "
Me: "I give you half an hour, get going!"
Teen, once she's showered, dried and 'straightened - "Are we eating sushi?"
Me: "No, anything but sushi, I've had it with sushi! How about a little bistro we haven't been to?"
Teen, "How about McDonald's?" (I am NOT kidding, people!!!)
Me: "Ahhh, NO! How about this little bistro? We've never tried this one?"
Teen: "No, I won't like anything there".
Me: "Okay, how about this one?"
Teen: "Yeah, whatever, I'm not eating". (Todays' teen's way to drive mom berserk - how come I didn't think of that when I was a teen? Oh yeah, I would have had a smack behind the head OR made contact with a wooden spoon!)
Me: "Okay, your choice".
We get to the restaurant and wait to be seated. The waitress takes our order, as we are standing up and waiting to be seated (ok up to now). The waitress asks my (usually polite) daughter what she would like and she says:
"Un steak tartar".
Waitress: "Avec frites?"
Teen: "Oui".
Me: "Un steak tartar, svp, et oui, svp".
Teen = NOT HAPPY!!!
We get seated.
Teen: "So why can't I paint my room black?"
* I'm not even going to comment on this comment!!!
And the other conversation we had:
Me: "So, next year you'll be 16, you'll want to start thinking about a summer job, camp counselor, ice cream place,...".
Teen: (with horrified, disgusted look on her face) "I'm only going to go to work when I'm done with college, MOM!"
Me: "Ah, no, next summer is the start of you 'career', 'cause if you want money to spend, how are you going to get it? ".
Teen: "Ah, it's called "D-A-D".
End of conversation - we had a 1 hour and a half meal and that's about the extent of our conversation. Next time I'm taking her to the sushi place, just so I don't have to deal with the sourpuss face and immature behavior! But then, her bad behavior would be rewarded, right?
No, next time I take my book and go to the restaurant I want, when I want. She can join me when her usual polite, pleasant self shows its face again...