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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Mac and the temper tantrum

I get really embarrassed when people throw hissy fits in public places. I'm embarrassed for total strangers when it happens and when I'm with someone who's doing it, I want to appease at any cost because I'm so ashamed. I want to preface this post with this confession.

ITSam, Mac and I went to get Mac a new phone earlier this week and due to some weird Sprint rules, we can't add Mac to Sam's phone plan for another 30 days. Ummmm, we didn't know this before we went to Best Buy and tried to get said phone. And Mac had already had his "new phone experience" pushed back an extra 30 days because of the car repairs I had to pay for.

This did not bode well with Mac. He was really pi**ed off. I explained a few options to him:
a) I get him a "throw away" phone to use for 30 days which will have text and call on it
b) I get a phone plan for him that day but he gets a job and makes the payments

Obviously "A" was practical. (And sounds cool. "Throw away" phone sounds so conspiracy/ criminal/ gangster/ Jason Bourne, doesn't it?)

The problem with "B" was that I promised Mac that I would get him a phone and I would pay for it as long as he was working on his Bachelor's degree and not failing any classes or quit/ dropped out of college/ kicked out of college. My other stipulation was that he got what I could afford and if he wanted something bigger and better as time went on, then the phone would be his responsibility. I didn't want him to have to take on this financial responsibility. Furthermore, if we went this route, he's still a minor so the phone would be in my name and if he bailed on the payments, I get stuck!

He then proceeded to have a hissy fit over the whole thing.

He's 5'11" and weighs about 270 pounds. When he threw a fit as a little kid I could scoop him up and take him out of the store. Unless I got a hand cart and a tazer, that wasn't going to happen. And short of him throwing himself on the floor and kicking and screaming, he had a big old fit.

So what did I do? I had no balls and was embarrassed to death and wanted him to shut up so I said, "Fine. What do you want? My phone?" and he said yes.

So for the next 30 days he has my phone and I have a throw away.

Yes, I realize all the things I did wrong here. I realize he was a complete and total ass.

I am ready for him to leave for college. Right now.

Please.

Maggie

6 comments:

Jimmie Earl said...

Just the fact that he threw a tizzie fit was reason enough for NO PHONE...ever, as far as I am concerned. At 17 yrs. 11 months and counting, he's old enough to accept what is laid out before him and quite old enough to NOT throw a fit of any kind. Not only does it embarrass me that he would do it, it makes me mad. He knows better! Good thing I didn't know this until I read it here! There would have been "he**" for him to pay. As it is, I am kinda miffed (a rather nice way of putting it.)

JE a.k.a Grandpa

Mellodee said...

Got to say it, I'm with J.E. No phone and I would have turned around and left the store immediately! At 17 he is way too old for hissy fits! Teenagers!!

As I recall it was a whole lot more fun BEING a teenager than it was RAISING a teenager!!

Curley said...

I'm sorry, I can't believe you actually gave him your phone. A phone, like having a driver's license is a privilege not a right.

A said...

If my kids had pulled that crap, they wouldn't be getting a phone, EVER!!

I say, take your phone back. Give the "burn phone" and if he doesn't like it, tell him to get a job and pay for his own phone!

angel81 said...

I have to say that I agree with everyone here. I also understand how MAggie feels since I am the mother of a 2 year old drama queen who is also the quenn of tantrums. It's natural to want to give in just to stop the tantrum. I still can't believe he threw a fit at his age though.

Jimmie Earl said...

Mellodee said a mouthful there. It was a lot more fun being a teenager than raising one or two. Even if you and your brother learned at about age 2 what happens if you threw a hissy-fit. But, parenting of a child or children at any age is sometimes a trial and error business. You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work. It's only 5 more months until college starts!
JE