klmama Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 ETA: Thanks for the commiseration. Problem much improved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I don't have as much experience or as many credentials as you, but I do have a similar problem on occasion. I've had my children ask me a question or ask for help and then decline to believe that I told them the correct thing. It is very frustrating. I admit that sometimes I do a Mary Poppins and say, "You know best of course." Other times I break out my "respect for those in authority" lecture. Sometimes I will give them "proof" from a well respected resource and then gently request that they apologize and admit I knew what I was talking about. And you bet that I always apologize when I find myself mistaken, whether or not they call me on a mistake. Some take longer than others, but eventually they come around and begin to believe that Mom may know something after all, even if she is just Mom. In my house this usually happens around 15 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Well, I was a snarky know-it-all for quite a while (usually to adults other than my parents, however), but I did break out of it around 17. This is better than 25, right? :D One thing that helped me was my mom would ask me (and I began asking myself before talking), "Is is more important for me to be right, or respectful?" This helped a lot, but I guess it wouldn't if the kid decided being right was more important! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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