Talking back

Here’s how it went down yesterday:

Me (to my 4-year-old daughter); Nicole, could you carry your plate to the sink?

Nicole: You carry the plate to the sink.

And … cue the sound of my head exploding.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I thought I had a good eight years until my sweet little daughter turned into the pre-teen from Hades. Back-talk, seriously? Where is she learning this sassy repartee, not to mention her method of delivery wherein she refuses to make eye contact with me?

Before I know it, she’ll be slamming doors in my face and telling me I’m ruining her life, and my mother and karma will high-five while laughing maniacally in the background.

Talking back is something new in our house. To be honest, I’m mystified as to its origins. Perhaps she thinks it’s funny? Do I jokingly talk like this sometimes? Are other kids or TV characters talking back to their mothers?

So we had a little family chat last night about talking back to mom and dad. We even did some role-playing examples to make sure Nicole knew exactly what we were talking about. I am grateful to have a husband who doesn’t stand for disrespectful talk, especially when it’s aimed at me.

We’ll see if our first attempt to nip this back-talking in the bud proves helpful. For now, I foresee a slew of time-outs in her future and about 10 years of head explosions in mine.

How do you handle kids who talk back? How do you instill respect for mom and dad?

Erin Stewart is a regular blogger for Deseret News. From stretch marks to the latest news for moms, Stewart discusses it all while her 4-year-old daughter crams Mr. Potato Head pieces in her little sister’s nose.