On Raising a Tween

Last night, Big Sissy and I went to see The Help.  I had high expectations about this mother/daughter date night.  Watching such a meaningful movie would provide lots of "teaching moments" in our chats during the car ride home, I imagined.  She would emerge the theater a more thoughtful, wiser, young lady, so I believed.

If you've not read The Help or seen the movie, it gives inspiration for equality among people.  It highlights the unacceptable ways that many Southern Women behaved, and the applaudable behaviors of a rare few. 

Unfortunately, before we even stepped foot into the theater said daughter snapped me out of my blissful imagining with her rather deplorable mockery of the concession attendant.  After paying for our snacks, the attendant delivered his standard line, "enjoy the movie," to which kiddo shamed me by laughing, "hu hu hu, okaaayyyy" in what I can only describe as the most smart alecky way possible.  What possessed her?  Pre-teens and teens, alike, are pros at being wise acres, it seems, and mine is no different.  I winced.  I couldn't even look the attendant in the eye.  I could have snatched her bald headed, right there, and I told her as much by reprimanding her in what I'll call "above a whisper".  She skulked into the movie and I followed.

Luckily for us, the movie was good enough that our moods couldn't help but be lifted by the end of it.

We talked on the way home, but it wasn't exactly how I envisioned it.  Mostly, I did the talking and she sat, arms crossed, staring out the window.  I love my daughter and I want her to be a kind human being.  I sure hope she was listening.