Smart Mouth!

They get it from us! Let’s not deny it—or even try to deny it. The kids get their smart mouths from us. Dr. Mardy Grothe had a quote from one of his readers this morning:

This week's contribution comes from Robert Kvinnesland, who writes:

After a heated argument with my keen-witted teenage daughter, I said in anger: "You know, since the day you were born, you've given me little joy!"

Without missing a beat, she smugly replied: "How about nine months before that?"

[Visit Dr. Mardy's web site: www.drmardy.com]

One daughter (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent—if there are any innocents left) was about to be chastised by her mother for a public display of affection. The mother began: “Young lady, when I was your age . . .”

That was as far as the mother got when the daughter reminded her that at HER age, the mother had a husband and two children. Mother went on about her business.

Then we heard about the teenager whose latest escapade garnered a lecture from his ‘other’ father figure. The kid cocked his head to one side and confided: “Don’t you think my dad really kind of DESERVES to have a kid like me.”

We have all heard the quips or maxims: You are paying for your raising; the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children; train up a child in the way he should go, and WHEN HE IS OLD, he will not depart from it.

Did you catch that last one? When he is OLD, he will not depart from it. It makes me wonder how old one has to be before one loses that smart mouth. I asked Fang, but he still isn’t sure if it was the training or the age thing; but he thinks I have a bit to go yet.