Common Areas
Posted on February 6, 2011 - Filed Under JP, kid, Parenting
I return home to what should be a spanking-clean house, and find instead the trails of a teenager, freshly pounded into the meadow that is our “common area.” Remnants of his entertainment, owning this space more often than I do based on my busy work schedule, means I find things that don’t quite compute with my need to be somewhat orderly. In fact, the common area can be almost treacherous, with vine-like PS3 cords strewn across the floor, parts attached or unattached, flickering and distracting lights, and volumes left at unexpected and edgy levels. Yogurt lids, like pieces of flesh, lie in random places (other than the trash) glimmering silver and crinkled, perhaps to distract my eyes from the potentially dangerous other things left in his path. Glasses of half consumed liquids, or empty and piled cups, leave me without a vessel to quench my own thirst. A residue of something consumed, under the ravaging need for food after teen-socializing, results in a dangerously sticky spot on the coffee table, one that eventually starts to smell and may result in the permanent adherence of my sock or a hand to the coffee table. And the most perilous of situations, is to find a pencil embedded in my ass when attempting to relax on the couch of pernicious vestiges; namely, teenager homework, computer, remote controls, markers, pillows, and sometimes dog. And last night, it followed on the sacrifice of a few monetary items and a very LONG day, and turned me into a very grumpy and exhausted lioness.
Such has been the onslaught of teenage-hood, into my life as a single mom. I have to temper myself – which isn’t always easy, self soothing with chocolate, Dali Lama Music, and the escape to my own personal space. I have threatened to remove all “common area” privileges, to take away the constantly-in-motion Rubik cube he carries to keep his mind busy, and reduce his allotment of PS3 time… but alas, he seems to find satisfaction in other things like Rubik forum discussions, video-taping strange things like piles of can tops, and Facebook. Sometimes this home is a bit like a dangerous safari trip, and navigating both the languaging of requests and ongoing list of needs, is not unlike paddling a river… sometimes with the current and sometimes exhaustively against it.
Comments
One Response to “Common Areas”
Now, I feel for you mi hija linda. This teenager needs more supervision, a video camara to keep an eye on him 24 hour per day. More homework from school to keep him busy, more shores to do around the whole house, less snacks around the house etc etc.
Did he give you an explanation for the mess? Too much time in his hands.
One wonders how most parents make it through their kids teenager years? Those were my happy years with a teenager name Moca.
Oh, well. As years go by, one looks back at those days with melancholic yearnings for more of the same, if only one could go back to those days, precious days, indeed.