You x Two= Extra

Have you ever heard the saying, "You reap what you sow"? Or maybe you've been told, "The way you were as a child, your children will be". Well, let me tell you how unfair that is.

Growing up as a child, I was always respectful to my elders. I did what was asked, and usually with little back talk. I was a reliable young girl. Teachers, leaders, and classmates would call on me for assistance because they knew I was reliable. Of course, during my teen years I went through my 'eye-rolling and teeth sucking' season, but it was never done in front of my parents, because frankly... I enjoyed having teeth. I was an ardent reader, and many times my parents would find me in my bedroom reading a book instead of out causing trouble.

As a young girl, I would hear adults tell other children, "Your children are going to be worse than you are", and, "You're going to reap your bad behavior". Hearing it so many times, I grew to believe it, and I just knew I wouldn't have any trouble because... I was a good girl. Somebody should have told me differently.

Fast forward to my adult years...

I met a young man, although different in some ways, I would later learn had so many similarities as I. We decided to make things serious and got married. Five years later, we did the mommy-and-daddy thing and produced our spawn. Ladies and gentlemen, when I tell you this child is a product of both of her parents, please believe me.

My threenager (as I like to call her) is a beautiful, musically inclined, bright young girl. One of my friends said it best, "Kenzie is stuck inside of a three-year old". The way she process things and responds quickly is quite amazing to me. The daily conversations we have are like talking to a teenager. People are always amazed at how well she speaks "for her age". As much as I enjoy having this beautiful, amazing, intelligent toddler in my world, she has inherited her father's gift of talking back.

Now, don't get me wrong. As I grew into myself and became an adult, I tapped into the distinct habit of needing to have the last word. That would usually stick its head out when talking to siblings, friends, and peers; never an adult, boss, or authority figure. Obviously, my daughter did not inherit that gene from me.

Let me share an example with you. One weekday morning, while my children were having breakfast, I allowed them a few minutes to watch a cartoon on their tablet. It kept them occupied while I prepared something for me to eat. Anyways, I asked little MacKenzie what would she like to watch. Here's how our conversation went:

Kenzie: I want to watch Yoo-Yoo.

Me: You mean Molang.

Kenzie: It's called Yoo-Yoo.

Me: Yoo-Yoo is the name of the character. Molang is the name of

the show.

Kenzie: OK. It' Molang to you.

This is what I deal with on a daily basis, and I have many more stories to share. Many times I'm flustered, frustrated, and tickled by her mouth, but most of all I'm always taken aback. I mean, Hello! I was a good kid. I never spoke back to my parents. I was too afraid to. But guess what... Steve did.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my wonderful husband, father of my children, head of my home spoke back to his parents. He wasn't a rude or disrespectful child (he liked having teeth, too), but he did share his thoughts more than I did growing up. You mean to tell me I get to reap my husband's behavior, too? Well, we went half on a baby, so I guess I have to take the good with the extra.

Moral of the story... ask your significant other hundreds of questions about their childhood, especially how they behaved, before jumping into parenthood. Prepare yourself for the extra you and them will pour into your offsprings.