Laura, if you or Dad had disappeared off the radar without direct contact for more than 48 hours, I'm pretty sure he'd be worried and upset. Keeping the people who love you informed of your whereabouts and plans isn't wearing a leash or a lo-jack, it's adult behavior. That's nothing less than you're entitled to.

And my long post was xposty with Sunil. Dude, you are making progress. Listening to your mother and ending the conversation without yelling or tears is big. Also, we won't let them kidnap you. Apparently I have a different parenting style, but I do value the communication I have with the boys and hope that by working with them they might listen to me about important things, or at least value my opinion.

Absolutely, Beverly. It is only because I knew where he was and could have called one of the other kids or stopped at the house where he was any time that I wasn't crazed. Still I made it quite clear yesterday that it was completely unacceptable for him to take off that way and that there would be consequences.

Probably a bit late for me to start smacking him up side the head, and I'd have to get a ladder. DH would handle the whole thing differently, but after years of spirited debate he defers to me in this situation.

My lifestyle at his age was far wilder. Way the hell wilder.

::pulls up chair for Laura's lovely stories of sex, drugs and the seventies::

P-C, it weirdly sounds like a cult deprogramming the way they talk about it. Except they're trying to break you from the evil mind control of, uh...autonomy and singlehood.

Teppy, was that the Blue Monkey Sideshow or another sideshow? I saw BMS in Indiana once and they KICKED ASS. I would totally hire them for a party.

{{{Zmayhem}}} Hec, I am totally with you. I find myself yelling more now than I ever have in my life and that is NOT good. Liv is 10 times more challenging than Owen was at the same age in regards to discipline.

Laura, so you're telling me it doesn't get easier? I was sorta hoping that would happen.

I am truly impressed, P-C, with the way that conversation went and your ability to deflect escalation. We can pre-emptively kidnap you, probably, to keep you from being shanghaied into marriage. If you want, I mean.

if you or Dad had disappeared off the radar without direct contact for more than 48 hours, I'm pretty sure he'd be worried and upset. Keeping the people who love you informed of your whereabouts and plans isn't wearing a leash or a lo-jack, it's adult behavior

Beverly is very smart.

Though I guess if I had said to my parents "hey, I'm at Meghan's house" and called them from her house (no cellphones in that day!) I would've been OK. (Except for the whole "skipping class" part of it)

I never worry about Laura's kids, no matter their shenanigans and lack of homework. They're extremely bright, they're capable, and they're very independent. Like their parents, they're motivated and ready to go into the world early. When they find what they want to do they'll apply themselves and shit will fall into place.

Indeed, David. The HS experience of 1968-1972 was quite a bit different than 2006-2010. I was so so bad. Don't know how my parents survived it all, or how I did for that matter.

*remember high school years*

*jams fingers in her ears and runs away singing lalalala*