Learning to Talk

 Right now I am doing exactly what I claim I abhor: writing, doing work and listening to television. Because I can. I'm an adult. LOL But let me say quickly that it makes me nuts to see Kate texting as she watches TV...what the hell. It's true that texting is to these kids is what talking on the phone was to us. The difference, of course, is that after hard won battles for independence and privacy, we had phones  in our rooms! Not in our laps half tucked under the napkins..tick, tick

And of course language has really changed in the last 50 or so years. The Oxford English Dictionary has nothing on me even though  I can't even remember what slang we used then. And now my  language as a parent is changing again. When Kate was3 years old, instead of taking my parenting style from my 1950's parents I stopped using NO and instead tried to divert Kate with the old bait and switch.  I refused to use Stupid as a label and treated it like a swear word. Swear words? Kate found the numerous swear words I was in the habit of using frightening and so she fined me $1 for every swear word I uttered.

Now that she is 16 years old, god help me,  I am keeping up to date with two amazing new words that I recommend to everyone.

Bummer and Whats Up with That.

You want to know how to use them? Often and with a light tone is my advice because they are the appropriate answer to everything...

Mom, I lost my wallet, my metro card and life is over.

Bummer.

That's code for  "How could you have been so stupid as to lose your money...." but I get brownie points for exhibiting some sympathy without lecturing.

Or listen to this conversation: I was supposed to meet Fred on the street and he stood me up. I found out that he was hanging out with his friend instead.

What's up with that?

I could have said, "Are you crazy to hang out with a loser like that?"but instead now I walk the walk and now I know how to talk the talk.