It's my daughter. She's being very defiant. She seems angry.
Tell me what you mean by defiant. I think defiant means different things to different people.
Well, she uses a sarcastic tone of voice. And sometimes she rolls her eyes at me.
Hmm. Ummhmm. Okay. Tell me more.
Yesterday, I asked her to help in the kitchen, and she slammed her door. And she's verbally abusing her older brother.
'Verbally abusing?'
Well, he was in her room and she yelled at him that he was a stupid idiot and to get out.
(For the record, I in no way want to minimize the pain of having a teenager. but last week i had a kid who tried to set his mother on fire. I have to really work hard to keep a straight face for "rolls her eyes at me" and "calls her brother stupid")
How is she doing in school?
She got all As and one B.
Hmm. well. How long has this--all this defiance--been going on?
Since she was about 12. She used to hang on me, follow me everywhere. Now she seems to be embarassed by me. She argues with me about everything.
Hmm. Well. I tell you what you have....
Yes?
I think you've got yourself a teenager.
Nobody appreciates my humor.
...
