Bad Child

Another friend of NBHS Zebra wrote that her mother wished she would have a child just like her. The poster went on to say it was to make her feel bad. Gee, maybe her mom meant: as wonderful as you are. ROFL My mother was not as ambiguous . I guess the Zebra's mother's facial expression and tone of voice left no doubt in the child's mind.

My mother said: I hope when you grow up you have one child 1/2 as bad as you, and "don't sass" or maybe it was "talk back" and "who died and left you boss".

I used to say of my grandfather (father's father) that he believed "Children should be seen and not heard." Did I hear him say it? Often? Did I hear my father say it when telling one of his Sunday dinner monologues?

I truly have no recollection of being bossy, or sassing. She said those two to me often. I might ask "Why do I have to do the dishes? Joanne does not." or "How come you let Colleen hold baby Larry and not me?" Is that sassing? Or is that asking a question?

I think of sassing as: parent tells child to clean their room, do their homework, whatever and child says "No, I don't hafta" or "No, you can't make me."

Younger sister also called me bossy because I did what my older siblings did. That is, the parents had rules, the older siblings were in charge of the younger and told younger ones what to do or not to do, based on parents rules. If parents had said "Please, do not do that again," or some other wording, perhaps, the children would likewise phrase commands so that they did not sound bossy or like barking orders. If parents put children in charge, they then, are thee boss.