Day Decode

Teens. Communication.

Sometimes it puzzles me if those two concepts go together at all. I marvel at how much has changed in a mere 15 years with CAG. I've gone from knowing nearly EVERYTHING about her life and thoughts, even the most intimate aspects, to knowing a lot and wondering about more.

She's actually very communicative. But over the years, I've noticed she's become MUCH more selective about what she shares with us. She's developed a hierarchy of information dissemination (from most to least): cat, mom, dad, siblings, friends, extended family, teachers, etc. I think, in the long run, this is a skill that will serve her well.

While her communication system still has me near the top, it can leave me out of some of the more interesting, juicy and growing up stuff. It's a step in the process of nest evacuation, I guess.

However, the other day she showed me a list she'd made during school. And it gave me a "Rosetta Stone" that I could use to decode her day. (She let me use her list in my blog on the condition that I assure you she isn't really as negative, uncaring and snarky as it may sound. Yes, she is a teenager, but she's also a very good egg.)

So here's her list ... and, in a way, her day:

Things I don't care about:
my spelling
piano practice
French quizzes
healthy food
world events
exercise
Physics class (where this list began!)
your life ... with a few exceptions
celebrities
Earth Day ... sorry, but I really don't care
reading textbooks
sports
Canada
high heels

Got it? Me, too.

As my friend, CAS, wisely noted, maybe the list really wasn't so much about what she didn't care about as what she did not WANT to care about.

In any case, the list did give me a good look into her day. And happily she (willingly) explained what didn't immediately make sense to me. Communication in list form? Might be a new tool for parenting ... as long as you don't suggest it.