89-year-old Teenager

Dad is no match for your alpha personality. He has always controlled a household with his quiet, calm voice. That has not worked at all with you. You don't play his game of quiet control, a place for everything and everything in its place. No sirreee...But as predicted, your absence has given him the courage to try to exert himself in the house. Like when the strict parent goes away leaving the teenagers with the gentler, more flexible parent, the kids soon try to get that parent to change the rules. "Can't I drive the car to school?" "Do I have to come home at eleven? Can't I stay out until midnight? I won't get in trouble. I'll be fine. blah blah blah........badger badger badger........let me wear her resistance down, she's overwhelmed by this anyway...she won't have the energy to resist me if I keep asking her.........So Dad started, "I want to go out to lunch with my friend and I don't want the caregiver to go. We want to have lunch alone. We want to talk privately. David can help me. I can walk fine." "No, Dad, David isn't able to help you well enough." "Yes, you just haven't seen him helping me around the house." "Yes, I have. It's not the same. You will be out in public and walking a lot farther." "Well, I just thought we'd tell the caregiver we're meeting some of David's former co-workers for lunch and he can stay here at the house and wait for us." "Don't lie to him, Dad. He can help you get into the restaurant, and I'll give him some money to go to the Thai place to eat." "We just don't need him." "We need him. I don't need anything to happen to you right now. I don't know what I'd do if you fell and broke a hip right now." This conversation repeated itself as if in a continuous loop. Finally, I spoke with David. He completely understood. Even as they were walking to David's car, Dad was trying to get the caregiver to wait on the porch while they went. Thankfully, David told him to come along. I covered my face in my hands. Do I have an 89-year-old teenager on my hands?

Today came another attack. "Can we move this juicer Bill just bought off the island? It's really in the way." "No, Dad. It's fine there. We can work around it."

Then to Laura he said, "These two piles of mail just sit here. No one does anything with them and I don't know where my mail is." "No, Grandpa, they're not in my way. I don't mind them there."

If I started drinking, I wouldn't be able to take my NyQuil before bed.