"How many times will i have to tell you to pick up after your mess?" I holler upon entering the house as i carefully navigate through a litter of shoes, school bag, socks, and notebooks strewn all over the living room. My 13 year old daughter, bolts out from her "cave" and impishly picks up her stuff as i continue with my litany of "Didn't i tell you to blah, blah blah. .
Being a single parent, i made sure that i brought up my kids as a law-abiding, God-fearing and sensible kids.
I end up being the "kontrabida" and KJ (kill joy). A stale of things that i don't particularly relish, but seems inevitable at times,such as this one.
Well i guess it's the typical set up in a Filipino households. The woman of the house is the one who normally "reminds" cajoles and sometimes coerces the children into doing their tasks and other responsibilities. When i was growing up, it only took a dagger look from my father to make me and my sibling shut up and stop whatever foolish things we were doing. And of course, we could never argue. It was unheard of in our household. But once,trying to test my limits, I did answered back and immediately felt my father's palm landing on my cheek,leaving burning sensation not to mention some psychological traces that had me, er, "disciplined" for life.
But time change. We evolve. Kid now a days are more expressive, more to the world around them. They can't just be told to "shut up". They now can be heard as well. Sometimes, I have difficulty accepting that small arguments become big ones because I don't like the way my daughter saying certain things or trying to justify her actions.
But as soon as she begged for forgiveness. It only took a warm embrace to melt my heart and ease the hurt, with both of us promising that we'd be more careful with our words and be considerate of each others feelings next time.
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