SPAWFFT!

Stop Produce Abuse With Freedom For Teenagers! (SPAWFFT!) is a newly-formed organization (just a few hours old, actually) with only one member: My favorite 15 year old. Here's how it was formed:

We shop at a store with nice, low prices, but you have to bag your own groceries. Well, I DO have two strong young men with me most of the time, so generally they bag while I pay. Today, however, Brandon did all the bagging. He did plenty of complaining about it, as well. So when we were settled in the van, I asked his brother why he didn't help bag, and his response was that whenever he DOES help bag, Brandon complains that he never does it right, and tries to tell him what to do, and so he figured he wouldn't bother. I told him he needed to help anyway, but then I told Brandon that if he were easier to work with, perhaps his brother would be more willing to work with him.

From there he descended into the horrors of Nate's bagging technique (he puts fruit on the bottom!) to my unfairness at correcting him, to being sent to bed because he would not stop arguing, to standing outside his room arguing even more, despite the fact that I clearly and calmly told him that he would lose priveleges if he continued, to saying that he was only standing up for what was right (SPAWFFT!) and wouldn't I do the same if, say, George Bush outlawed homeschooling? And would I really want him to jump of a bridge if I told him to?

While I would go to jail in support of homeschooling, I had no idea a teenager would give up all that this one gave up tonight in support of firm fruit. Ah, well, hopefully a good night's sleep will help his attitude. And I just keep telling myself that all this stubborness (and don't get me wrong--both kids have it in abundance!) will be turned to good eventually.