Rudy’s angry.
At Brad.
Because his room is a mess.
Again.
As usual.
Rudy’s shoulders are hunched.
His chest puffed with air.
Arms lifted off the sides of his body.
His face scowling.
His feet stomping.
He stands tall, threatening, intimidating.
Brad lifts himself off his bed.
Plants his feet firmly on his bedroom floor.
Stands toe-to-toe with Rudy.
And looks his dad in the eyes.
Surprised, Rudy has nothing to say.
Doesn’t respond.
Is taken aback by the fact that his son is no longer a little boy.
A boy that needs to be told what to do.
No.
No more.
Rudy stomps his heavy feet out of the room.
Brad feels validated.
In control.
BonaFideAffairs 
This is very realistic. I have a 14 year old daughter who is really not into cleaning her room. She likes it clean, but doesn’t want to clean it. It’s pretty hard when they get older to stand there and force them to do something. I imagine a father-son kind of confrontation would be pretty intense. Parenting. Not easy sometimes.
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yes, linda, brad and his dad, in confrontation is definitely tense… on the one hand rudy is proud that brad can stand up for himself, but on the other the disrespect is aggravating… somehow a balance needs to be found….
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Uh Oh! There would have been some hell at our house
http://paulasplace-paula.blogspot.com/
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well, paula, rudy and brad are learning how to communicate with each other…. as brad grows more independent… rudy wants him to understand the value of respect while also understanding that he needs to grow through his actions, in a positive way…. they are both seeking a trusting relationship…
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That brought back memories of my daughter – I finally learned to shut the door of her bedroom and not worry about the mess. Loved this.
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messy rooms have never really bothered me, suzy… like you i just shut the door…. there are so many other things i want to make issue with… things to help brad grow into a respectable person….
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Excellent. I love your style.
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thank you, grace…
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Teenagers are so much fun.
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
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i agree, joyce….. 🙂
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Great imagery and choice of words here. Every parent of growing children will know this moment!
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thanks, paula, for the compliment…. so true, something all parents most likely experience…..
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There comes a point when we realize they’re no longer children…
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yes, so true… it becomes a new level of parenting…
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Send ’em to my house. Got teens. I know whereof you speak. 😉
Happy A-Z! Visiting from the GBE 2: Blog On FB group.
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He’s our third teen….. we knew it was coming……. I think Rudy just forgot. 🙂
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I enjoyed your little essays about the children! Are they your children or children you know? I was wondering if you’re a teacher. I certainly empathized with Elizabeth. When I was a little kid, I and my siblings took flowers from a neighbor’s garden. Mother marched us over there to apologize. I cried, as I recall, but I sure learned an important lesson about stealing. There was no punishment–just a facing up to consequences…
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