# @6:45am, my kid texts me from his room... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 4, 2014, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372 "2014-10-04T11:46:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/1 "2014-10-04T11:46:21Z")
…“Sorry, I don’t have to work until 1pm today.” :mad: I’ve been up since 6am knowing I have to drive him to work this morning. I’m nearly done my coffee so there’s no way I’m going back to sleep at this point. And last night we sat together to a late supper and had the conversation about when he had to be at work. 7:45am, he said. In time to open, he said. WTF. Since we’re both up, should I have him?: a) scrub the garage b) wax the roof c) rotate the driveway pavers d) \<_what say you?_\> ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/2 "2014-10-04T11:49:23Z")
Yard work is always a treat - maybe swap the rose and the hydrangea, then put all the lilies over here and all the coneflowers over there… Does the car need to be detailed?? ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/3 "2014-10-04T12:00:41Z")
He texted you from his room??? He was too lazy/chicken to come downstairs and apologize face to face? Get his butt outta bed, have him strip the sheets and wash them and while he’s waiting on the washer/dryer he can scrub bathrooms and the kitchen floor. And he needs to do something very nice for you, like breakfast in bed tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/4 "2014-10-04T12:06:15Z")
My wife is still asleep and I don’t want to wake her because she’s a bit under the weather. Else he’d be dusting the light bulbs now. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/5 "2014-10-04T13:06:25Z")
Have him rotate the tires on your car. Then he can move the barbell set from the basement to the attic. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/6 "2014-10-04T14:20:48Z")
Well, first you need to understand if it’s his fault or something else. Did he get a message from his manager late last night or early this morning saying the schedule changed, or did he screw up? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/7 "2014-10-04T14:39:29Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > Well, first you need to understand if it’s his fault or something else. Did he get a message from his manager late last night or early this morning saying the schedule changed, or did he screw up? Yeah, that was my initial thought. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/8 "2014-10-04T14:59:54Z")
There was no schedule change. It was posted last week. He worked last night. I picked him up after work and he told me he had to work in the morning. In fact, he’s been saying he had the Saturday morning shift all week and not until Thursday night did it suddenly dawn on him that he also had to work the friday evening shift as well. This is typical folks. Don’t think I’m not well versed by now in asking the obvious questions anyone would under the circumstances. Doesn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/9 "2014-10-04T15:02:40Z")
> [@saje](#): > > He texted you from his room??? And you didn’t walk to his room to answer him? Are you a family, or just neighbors? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/10 "2014-10-04T15:05:06Z")
Perhaps you need a hole dug? He can dig you a nice, deep hole. Then later, why is there a giant hole in your yard? He could fill that in for you. Endless fun! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/11 "2014-10-04T15:07:40Z")
How old is this kid? And what is his excuse for the last-minute change? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/12 "2014-10-04T15:07:55Z")
a dry marker board calendar in the kitchen would be a good place for schedules, especially those things that impact others. this might help eliminate problems caused by forgetting to mention something or not mentioning it far enough in advance. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/13 "2014-10-04T15:08:46Z")
He texted you. From his bedroom. What sort of fucked up kid you raising there? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/14 "2014-10-04T15:22:18Z")
Simmer down, some of you. He’s 15 and absent minded; A good kid otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/15 "2014-10-04T15:43:10Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Perhaps you need a hole dug? He can dig you a nice, deep hole. Then later, why is there a giant hole in your yard? He could fill that in for you. Endless fun! When I was 17 and would go out drinking with my friends, this was my dad’s thing to do. Wake me up early and tell me we were going to put a pond in the yard. I would dig all day long, hungover. The hole would sit there until my next wild night, then I would be told to refill the hole, as the pond idea fell through. _I never realized what was going on_!! Until 4 years later when my little brother complained to me about having to dig a hole while hungover, then epiphany. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/16 "2014-10-04T15:45:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I was 17 and would go out drinking with my friends, this was my dad’s thing to do. Wake me up early and tell me we were going to put a pond in the yard. I would dig all day long, hungover. > > The hole would sit there until my next wild night, then I would be told to refill the hole, as the pond idea fell through. _I never realized what was going on_!! Until 4 years later when my little brother complained to me about having to dig a hole while hungover, then epiphany. You take after your dad, don’t you… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jumpbass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jumpbass/32/147_2.png) [@Jumpbass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumpbass)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/17 "2014-10-04T16:08:26Z")
Heh. Just as I was reading the OP, my 17 yo daughter decided do demonstrate that she thinks we were waking her up too early by slamming her bedroom door shut. Very loudly. She needs to get up and ready for a full day of marching band events. But not yet, apparently. I try to just let this sort of BS slide by and not get worked up about it, but it sure can be difficult when it sabotages family outings, meals and other family events. Teenagers sure can be assholes. Mine seems to be on her period all the time. Her sisters (13 yo twins), on the other hand, are sweet and helpful. Mostly. All this nonsense only happens at home, of course, with the people she’s closest to. At school she’s well known to be a sweet helpful kid. Makes me wonder how she’s ever going to maintain a relationship with anyone later in life. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/18 "2014-10-04T16:31:15Z")
Time to pass responsibility to them for getting themselves up, clearly. Let them sleep passed a couple of commitments and then face the consequences whatever they are. And there is no reason this should be in any way delivered as punative. Simply point out that recent events make it clear to you that your parent/child relationship doesn’t need this kind of additional conflict. Pass off the responsibility like you’re giving them a gold bar. Then point out that you will be watching closely to see if they are adult enough yet to handle it. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/19 "2014-10-04T16:33:17Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Time to pass responsibility to them for getting themselves up, clearly. Let them sleep passed a couple of commitments and then face the consequences whatever they are. > > And there is no reason this should be in any way delivered as punative. Simply point out that recent events make it clear to you that your parent/child relationship doesn’t need this kind of additional conflict. Pass off the responsibility like you’re giving them a gold bar. Then point out that you will be watching closely to see if they are adult enough yet to handle it. The OPs son didn’t oversleep and it doesn’t seem like anything more than lighthearted “conflict”. Not sure how this is relevant. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372/20 "2014-10-04T16:35:31Z")
The one and only time I got grounded and had my car privileges taken away, I asked my manager at work if I could open the store every day (it was the summer). I got the car back within 3 days! Woohoo! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-45am-my-kid-texts-me-from-his-room/700372.md?page=2)