a BOY conversation

previously, 2 years ago at RaisingHell . . .

mom is sitting at her computer, in the dining room, drinking coffee and paying bills. daughter comes downstairs and plops onto the floor at her feet.

daughter: i want to have one of those mother-daughter talks.

mom, looking down, one eyebrow raised: oh, you DO, do you? what do you want to talk about?

daughter, rolling her eyes: what do teenage girls USUALLY want to talk about??

mom: hmmm… boobs? 80’s fashion tips? make-up? SCHOOL?

daughter, giggling: nooooo…

mom: aaaah, you’re GIGGLING. must be BOYS.

daughter, nodding: uh-huh.

mom: sooo…, what’s up?

daughter: well…, do you think, if you like somebody, and he does something like, you think he’s trying to get your attention but maybe he really isn’t and, well, you just want to THINK he is?

mom: umm, was that a question?

daughter: MOM!

mom: okay, okay, i know what you’re talking about. yes. that happens a lot, especially when you like someone and they don’t know you like them. he could just be looking across the room or at something behind you but you want him to be looking at you so you think that he is. does that make sense?

daughter, sighing: yeah.

mom: now, if he does goofy stuff to get your attention, that’s something else. freshman boys are notorious for NOT knowing how to talk to girls. it’s like 5th grade all over again. they’ll tease you and follow you and poke you…

daughter: well, when he walks by me in the hallway, he bumps my shoulder with his shoulder…, and sometimes he pulls my hair.

older brother, yelling from the other room: he’s definitely trying to get your attention!

mom, nodding towards the yelling brother: well, i guess he should know…

daughter: cool! i think. well, that’s all, i guess…

mom: i take it you like this boy?

daughter: yeah.

mom, taking a sip of coffee: maybe you should talk to him more, you know, so he’ll know you’re interested.

daughter: okay, i guess that’s a good idea…

mom: even goofball boys need some validation…

daughter: umm, what exactly is ‘validation’?

mom, rolling her eyes: he needs to know that he’s been acting like a doofus for a good reason, honey. he’d probaby like to know that he IS getting your attention.

daughter, grinning: oh. okay :)

Comments

  1. daisy said September 12, 2004, 1:51 pm:

    What a good mommy!

  2. goddess dix said September 13, 2004, 6:04 pm:

    if only *somebody* would ask me for some 80’s fashion tips…i’d be so happy.

  3. melly said September 16, 2004, 8:33 pm:

    Okay, this is where my experience can come in handy. Tell her that, no matter what, she should never call the guy up and play sad Mariah Carey songs.

    So she probably wouldn’t have, but now she’ll have a good laugh. On me.