I was on my way home from the store the other night.
I had a huge bag of dog food in the car for M's beloved canine.
Now, obviously, with a strapping teen-ish boy at home, there was no reason for me to consider carrying in this big ol' bag.
So I called the boys."M', do you have shoes on, honey?" It was late, and he could have already been in bed.
"No." He's a boy of few words.
"Oh.....well, I have this big bag of dog food to carry in, and....well....nevermind, honey. I'll be right home, I'm just around the corner."
I hung up the phone and started chuckling to myself. I am a woman, as you know. This means that my words don't always say what I mean. So, as I drove, I was working this into a teaching opportunity. I figured that I would present this to M' as one of those valuable tool that would help him with women for the rest of his life. I would tell him that when a woman turns down help so as not to inconvenience him, he mustn't believe her.
What I had really meant on the phone with him was more like, "Honey, I know you are all ready for bed, and it's a lot to ask, but would you mind getting on shoes and a coat so that you can carry this heavy bad in for your mother?"
Well, I pulled in to the driveway. Guess who was waiting outside in his PJ's and his coat and shoes to carry the bag in for me?
I smiled, big.
I told him what I had been planning to teach him, and he rolled his eyes. "Mom," he said as he hoisted the dog food, " I learned that a long time ago."
4 comments:
He only THINKS he learned that lesson! Every woman has her own unique and subtle ways of doing this very thing and he may have learned yours but someday he's going to miss the cues from his girlfriend or wife and feel totally baffled when she becomes upset. But good job for starting him young on this!
Sweet. Sounds like you're teachin' 'em right:) cool.
Good boy, M. Good boy.
Good for you, and for him. This is so important. To do that in a gentle, respectful way, and for him to recognize it and respond rightly to it, that's beautiful. Good foundations.
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