Child Abuse

Last year,before school, I took the kids school supply shopping. Backpacks, pencils, hair dye, - the usual....and in addition they each picked out a shiny new insulated lunch bag with a ice pack of their choice. Jesse picked out the standard blue circle and Janee picked out a soccer ball.

Months 1-2, Janee religiously used both the bag and the ice pack, Jesse stopped using either choosing the more efficient option of shoving his food in his backpack underneath his books.

Months 3-6, Janee used the lunch bag but stopped using the ice pack - I mean really, it is TOOO much work to walk from your bedroom at night to the freezer to refreeze it.

Then slowly, the lunch bag was dropped all together in honor of Jesse's efficient way.

During Summer, Janee proclaimed "I need a new backpack"

Why?"

"Because my backpack has bread crumbs in the bottom"

First of all, the fact that she used that as an excuse equals about 15 reasons why NOT to buy her a backpack, but I digress.....

Of course, we don't buy her a backpack. Our reasoning is it is not a necessity, her reasoning is because we are child abusers...but again, I digress.

She decides to go out and buy her OWN backpack *whine* because everyone else gets a new backpack before school *whine* and even though it is our responsibility to take care of her *whine* she will have to do it herself *wine*

So like the child abuser that I am, I drive her to Tilly's for her to buy a $32.00 backpack.

She makes sure the backpack she wants has an extra pocket this time for shoving her lunch into so it doesn't get mixed up with pencil lead - smart girl! All the while claiming the perfect backpack must have this pocket because she will not be using a lunch bag this year.

Days 1-3 - Like a child abuser, I pack her a lunch which she shoves her lunch in her backpack pocket...

Days 4-6 - Like a child abuser, I pack my 8th grader a lunch.  She takes her fruit, chips and granola bar to school but leaves the sandwich on the counter..

Day 7, Goes into a 10 minute tirade about how disgusting eating hot sandwiches is and how her friend has been buying her carrots at school to help feed her...

Dramatic much?

Needless to say, we are now the proud owners of 1 insulated sandwich container. Here's to hoping this will solve the new attitude the teenage girl is acquiring!