By May 17, 2009 Read More →

Kid Logic: Help Needed

poutAs a guy of forty something years old, I have still been unable to unlock the mystery of “woman logic”. I have given up.  But as a dad of 17 years, I thought I had the whole “kid logic” down till this afternoon. Maybe there comes a time when “kid logic” becomes obsolete and is replace by “woman logic”?

My teen daughter “needed” some clothes and there is a cool consignment-ish store called Plato’s Closet, that has all the hip and cool clothes that teens jus “have” to have.  They buy gently used clothing and resell it at ridiculously low prices. Hollister, Abercrombie, American Eagle, Aeropostal, all the cool brands.

So, I give her a budget of $60 and we make the trek to the stroe–about 45 minutes away, but worth the ride.  On the ride up, the mouth got out of control and she was talking trash to her little sister, then she just started talking trash period. I told her that one more word out of her and the budget drops to $40.

“Yeah, right.” she says. I told her I was serious and she says “Yeah, right.–in the tone only a teenage girl can utter. Well, fortunately for me, and unfortunately for her,  she was right near my shoulder in the car and I slapped her cheek and told her not to back talk me.

The corcodile tears began and the lip quivering. I asked if I made my point and she said I did.  Well we arrive and she decides that the best way to punish me is to refuse to go into the store.

Now here is where I am losing the logic.  She does not get what she wants and my wallet is $60 to the good, and somehow this is a punishment to me?  I even gave her a few chances while he sister and I were in the store to come in and buy, but she stuck to her guns determined to punish me.

Sometimes, I just don’t get it! Can anyone explain?

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5 Comments on "Kid Logic: Help Needed"

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  1. janet says:

    ooch—sounds like dad could use a little zoloft. teenagers are not to be understood just tolerated. its the hormone and lifes questions rolling around in there head. remember to choose your battle dad, and remember its only for a few more years.

  2. Imogen Moore says:

    I think I have a theory.

    Your girl was using Woman Logic (she won´t make this mistake too many times in the future so enjoy it while it lasts).

    The thinking goes that women are extremely prone to guilt. Ridiculously so – I have a fourteen year old who gets weepily guilty every time she is out of line.

    Under this logic, you were supposed to lose sleep over her pained (literal and figurative) angst as well as her Complete and Total lack of acceptably fashionable clothing.

    Clear as mud? 🙂

  3. John says:

    Update….it is ancient history, the silent treatment lasted about a day. And she still has no new to her fashionista clothes.

  4. pat says:

    you just need to convince yourself that she lost out and you weren’t punished(u saved $60). They want you to feel like your the one punished because they want feel they control the cards. Once they see that you weren’t ing any sleep- they’ll stop doing it. I have 2 teenage girls Good luck

  5. teenmom says:

    “Oh how sad” you say to her ” that we drove 45 min here to your favorite clothing store and you decided not to go inside and buy anything, using what I gave you for your budget. You know why I reduced your clothing budget and I hope that I don’t have to do that again. You know that in this family, talking rudely to your sister or to me is not acceptable. But I must admit it was a surprise to have that money back in my wallet again.
    Why slap? Visit http://www.love and logic.com ……I use their strategies with my teen son and in my classroom and they work…. and I get to keep my sanity!

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