Selective Hearing

What I say: “Go get dressed. Be sure to change your underwear, and brush your teeth.”
What they hear: “Run around in your underwear screaming like a lunatic, punching your brother repeatedly.”

What I say: “It’s almost time for dinner.”
What they hear: “It’s time for another four cheese sticks.”

What I say: “Be sure to take all your stuff out of the car into the house.”
What they hear: “The car is a great place for the backpack you’ll need to take with you on the school bus tomorrow morning.”

What I say: “Put the remote back on the shelf so we can find it.”
What they hear: “Shove the remote down in the couch cushions so your father and I can spend half of the little time we have to watch TV after you go to bed hunting for it.”

What I say: “Take this upstairs and put it in your room.”
What they hear: “Go up to the fifth step from the top and toss this on the floor above you.”

What I say: “Stop whining.”
What they hear: “Can you go up an octave?”

What I say: “Put your clothes in the hamper in the laundry room so they can get washed.”
What they hear: “Clean clothes are overrated.”

What I say: “Don’t blow that straw wrapper at your brother”
What they hear: “Bet you can’t nail him in the eye with that.”

What I say: “Time to take a bath.”
What they hear: “Time to take off all your clothes and dance around in the hallway like a stripper in front of a customer waving a hundred dollar bill.”

What I say: “Take those cheese stick wrappers to the trash can.”
What they hear: “Take those cheese stick wrappers into the kitchen and leave them on the counter.”

What I say: “Keep your hands to yourself!”
What they hear: “Humans thrive on physical contact.”

What I say: “Hang up your coat and backpack.”
What they hear: “Those hooks are very fragile—stay away from them.”

What I say: “Pick up your room.”
What they hear: “Shove everything on the floor under the bed and spend 45 minutes screwing around in your room.”

What I say: “Time to do your reading.”
What they hear: “Time to come up with two hundred new names to call your brother, all of which must include the word ‘butt’ in some way.”

What I say: “Stop yelling!”
What they hear: “I’ve been in louder sensory deprivation chambers. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

What I say: “Pick up your socks!”
What they hear: “…”





8 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh girl, I live your pain.

Tracy said...

It's the only logical explanation I can come up with. Seriously, it has to be this.

Cassandra said...

So true.

Tracy said...

Unfortunately!

Linda Roy said...

Oh yes! So spot on. ;)

Tracy said...

I realize I have a million more of them too! Kids, sheesh!

Robin Bobo said...

When I say, "Clean your room", my 15 year old daughter hears, "Lay down on the bed and text your BFF for an hour then take a nap." Because, yanno...they sound so similar.

Tracy said...

Yeah, apparently what they hear changes over the years. I'm wondering at what point I will say, "Clean your room" and they will actually clean their rooms. Probably when they're about 35.