Dearest Parker,
You have just reached the glorious age of 14. Yes, you've reached this wonderfully awful age when you're too young to drive and date, but too old to be seen in public with your (still 28-year-old) parents.
If you're anything like your (once 14-year-old-with-no-concept-of-frugality) mother, you have an unfortunate taste for expensive clothes. You can't stand the thought of being seen in the same clothes you wore last week. Hopefully you're more like your dad--great taste, but you realize that the number of times a shirt's been worn doesn't determine whether or not it's still a good shirt.
I assume you're still as social as ever. Starting when you were born, you lived for the next party or social gathering. If I told you "no" because I didn't want to spend the money, you'd whip out your penny-filled money jar as the solution to every problem. By now you probably realize that the 200 or so pennies won't actually get you very far. That's right, the fun activities you long to participate in cost money. The clothes you HAVE to have cost money.
Let me take you back to your 3-year old days. The FUNNEST days in the world were the days when I LET you help me clean. Pouring COMET in the bathtub brought exclamations of sheer joy. Actually getting to help scrub and rinse the tub was even better. And what could beat dumping a teaspoon of baking powder into the cookie dough mixture? You were quite the helper. Do you remember the first time I let you help me mop the tile floor? I cringed as you left puddles of icky water all over the floor, but to you it was THE. BEST. DAY. EVER.
So sweet little teenage Parkercito, get that grumpy look off your face, and get to work. If you want my money, you're gonna have to work for it. And no, that REALLY FUN MOPPING EXPERIENCE 11 years ago doesn't count. You were sure cute, though.
Love you,
Mom
12 comments:
Ha! If only we could look ahead and tell them just how fun they thought it was to do chores.
Sooooo cute Robyn. You do such cute blogs and what a nice helper Parker is!
How much fun and saddness because that is just how fast time will go and you will be wishing these days back. Hang onto every fun moment (stressful moment) I know you will really miss them.
I can't even imagine what Parker will be like as a 14-yr-old.
Project Bribery accomplished. You're saving these pictures to prove to his future wife someday that he is fully capable of cleaning the house, right?
Awesome post!
You always come up with the cutest posts!
14?? Ahhh! Don't say those words. I like that they like to clean up and help. I'm not ready for teenagers!
I think about this everytime I have my kids help clean and they are small and still LOVE it! Annie and Max are getting good at actually doing a good job, but it is so hard to let Sofie do it when it just makes a bigger mess!! I keep thinking she will be good at it when she is their age if I just keep letting her help.
Cute post!
So cute!
So nice that you let him help. Some days I just want to do it myself so I can get it over with quicker...I forget how much little things like that mean to them.
What a cute post. I hope you print this letter and give it to him when he's fourteen. I'm sure he'll love it!!
This is not a bad idea. Letters to my kids to be opened in the future. I'm gonna do that. Thx Robyn! :)
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