-=> Quoting Maurice Kinal to Nancy Backus on 09-30-06  16:31 <=-   
      
    MK> Tell us about your teen years and then maybe there is something there   
    MK> that will help you relate to the fathers of teenage daughters.   
       
   Dunno.  I had a pretty good relationship with my dad until I went to   
   college...  then I finally started to do my quiet rebellions.  We'd have   
   arguments in which he would get "super-logical" on me, and not listen to   
   any of MY reasonings (which, in most cases, looking back on it even now,   
   I still believe I was in the right of it), so, still wanting to be the   
   "good daughter", I'd just clam up and stew quietly on my own.   
      
   I think I learned to not say anything when I was quite a bit younger,   
   though...  The worst thing we could do as far as Daddy was concerned was   
   to make Mommy upset... and making any sort of scene tended to also make   
   her unhappy.... shrug...  also I was the oldest of eight children and   
   learned responsibility (of many sorts) at a very early age.   
      
   Some of my sisters were more flamboyant and out-spoken with their ways   
   of breaking away...   
      
    MK> True.  I have less problems with other's children although I suspect   
    MK> that the teens view me differently then they do their parents no matter   
    MK> if I take their parents point of view.  The few times it happens these   
      
   My experience has been that if one is fair with kids, they respond   
   favorably.  This even worked when I and hubby were able to help my   
   youngest brother see M&D's point of view without provoking the usual   
   rebellions from him.   
      
    MK> days I think the kids might even appreciate the opportunity to air   
    MK> their grievances to me without taking the risk of it inadvertantly   
    MK> causing a further rift in the generation gap.   
       
   There is that, plus, since the kid is trying to establish self as being   
   independent, it hardly does to agree with the parents outright, even   
   when they inwardly do...  An uninvolved adult is safer to agree with. :)   
   When they get a little older they figure out that they CAN agree and   
   still remain independent...    
      
   ttyl       neb   
      
   ... I'm not perfect : I'm just half blind to my faults.   
      
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