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How To Keep Your Teenager From Going Beserk!

PROBLEM: Piano recital May 4th, 6:30 Baseball Game May 4th, 7:45

SOLUTION: Super juggling mom calls piano teacher and arranges for both boys to be first on the list, breaking protocol of newer students first, more experienced ones last. It is worth it to get teenager to game so he doesn't throw a fit about hating piano lessons. Still plenty of time to make the game. Just might miss warm-ups.

NEW PROBLEM: Light's not working at field. Game moved up to 6:30. BIG PROBLEM!!

NEW SOLUTION: Ponder dilemma for a few days. Ask dad's opinion, knowing he would give anything to miss piano recital. Make decision on your own! Stick with original game plan but be super tacky and rude by not dressing up for the recital, leave 5 minutes after it starts and get teenager to game 30 minutes late. That is the only way to avoid a complete uproar. He doesn't love this idea and failed when he said "Mom, I will have a lot more piano recitals!" Something is wrong with this equation: piano recitals=2 per year; baseball games=50 per year. Hmmm.....not much to think about.

PROBLEM WITH NEW SOLUTION: Rained out the last 2 Saturdays. Teenager is anxious to play. Gets grumpier with each game canceled. Does not want to be late. Suggested getting piano teacher to start the recital a little early. Doesn't understand why this isn't a feasible suggestion. Had to mow the lawn after school. Continues to get grumpier by the minute. Mom's praying game is a few minutes late getting started. Mom is feeling bad that teenager is not happy. Would love to give in and let him miss recital but knows he will thank her someday for making him play the piano.

HOW IT ALL WENT DOWN:  Teenager kept a good attitude throughout the evening.  Put his uniform under his suit.  Couldn't even tell.
When it came time to play he did a fantastic job.  The best his mom had ever heard him play.
Little brother did a great job as well!
Teenager and family left the recital, raced to the game and miraculously missed getting pulled over by a waiting cop.  Heaven was smiling on poor teenager. Teenager made it to the game in the bottom of the 1st.  Teenager's team won making the whole night a success.  WHEW!
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Comments

Ang said…
Congrats on your juggling act!!! I wimped out and let Ethan quit piano this year. He's playing trumpet in the band though . . . and has his school band concert is the same night as a baseball game! And are you involved in the temple celebration? We've had (and will have) a bunch of conflicts there too. So hard. Ethan would rather go to baseball too, though.
May 4, 2009 at 10:29 PM
brees said…
Your boys did awesome! Tell said teenager there is nothing more that a girl wants than a boy who can play the piano, and mow the lawn!! Ha! (John plays, melts my heart everytime :)
May 5, 2009 at 8:13 AM
wylie said…
Impressive! What a juggling act =) Aren't you glad heaven shined on that teenager that night--he was giving it all he could (so were you).
May 5, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Patti said…
Wow. I was so stressed out just reading this. I can imagine what it was like having to live through it in real-time.
May 5, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Aimee said…
Good job on not giving in! Sometimes it's hard for kids to understand priorities. What a great life lesson.
May 6, 2009 at 3:13 PM
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