The problem with having verbally strong kids is...

 

The problem with having verbally strong kids is...
14 April 2014

The problem with having verbally strong kids, is just that - they’re verbally strong.

Given half a chance and any opportunity, they’ll do their best to talk rings around you.

In addition, verbally strong kids are absolute pro’s at playing the whole manipulation game.  They can quite literally drive one nuts!  Tripping you up in circles.  Leaving you tongue tied.

And as luck would have it, it seems that I’ve given birth to quite a few of these verbally strong specimens.  Three to be exact.

I know – I really lucked out.

No docile, submissive, easily swayed kids for me.  I’ve got a couple of hard nuts to crack.

For a while Luke toyed with being a lawyer, and I reckon he probably would’ve been a fairly good one at that.  He certainly tried his arguing out on me.  It was NOT fun.  For me.  Chances are he got a really big kick out of it.  Which in turn, tempted me to kick him.

Now Amber is the comeback queen.  So sharp and so fast.  Always a witty answer.  Sadly, usually apt too.  And it seems as if she has passed her wisdom and verbal skills on to Cole. 

Between the two of them, I have to be vigilant.  They really keep me on my toes.

The true scary thing though, is the combination of their strong verbal skills, their exceptionally fast verbal volley return, and the fact that they know me so well.  This is a truly awful little system they’ve got going, and they play it to really good effect.

A few days ago, I had an absolute whopper of a day.  Extremely busy.  Draining in fact.  Apart from the usual run-around of lifting and carting kids, homework supervision, work admin, school project help, asking questions for an upcoming physics test (I don’t know what ANY of it means), grocery shopping and supper cooking, as well as a family crises thrown in the mix, I had to attend a winter sports meeting one evening, for one of my kids.  I was pretty shattered by the time I got home, just after 8pm.  Though part of me felt guiltily relieved – I would have missed the worst of the bedtime rush.  Hopefully, at least two of my sprogs would be in bed.  Most likely not asleep, but on their way at least.

I walked in at home, let me bag slip off my shoulders with a thud, and I sank down into one of the couch cushions.  For about 3 seconds.  I could smell the freshly brewed coffee, and as it was most definitely bra-off-o-clock, I couldn’t wait to slip it off, kick off my shoes and simply melt.  Taking one look at my face, my Grantie gave me a kiss and poured coffee.

My first mistake was wandering down the passage.  Now I knew that though the lights were off, the kids were still awake.  But I really wanted to give them a kiss and a cuddle goodnight.  My first stop was Cole, and he begged me to have a lie-down with him.  I was very brave and declined his offer – mostly because I was so tired.  I knew I’d probably fall asleep.  In addition, his 120km/hour excited night time jabbering would probably rob me of the will to live.  And let’s not forget – bra-off-o-clock was beckoning.  My coffee too.

I held fast, and soldiered on.  To Amber.  My darling little Berry, who too begged me to lie with her.  I explained very gently, that I was really tired.  That Daddy had just poured me a delicious cup of coffee and that I hadn’t seen Daddy all day.  That it was now past bedtime, adult time, and bra-off-o-clock to boot.  And let’s not forget my coffee.

So what did she do?  My sweetest little Berry?  She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Mommy you really should take these opportunities.  I’m twelve.  Soon I won’t want to lie with you anymore.  And you’ll be really sad and sorry.”

Yip, I caved.  I’m not proud of it.

And thus, I lay for a cuddle and a chat with Amber.  And a cuddle and a chat with Cole. 

Bra-off-o-clock came a bit late.  The coffee had to be reheated.  My Grantie waited patiently.

And my heart was happy.

Verbally strong kids are a challenge.  But they get far in life.

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