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| photo credit: Australian Catholic University |
My teen son
speaks a second language fluently, it’s called gibberish, or nonsense. It has
occurred to me that whenever my son is asked to do something that he doesn’t
want to do, he launches into his created language.
The other
day after dinner, I told me son I needed him to wash the dishes. His response
was, “I don’t understand your language.”
Fortunately
for my son, when I reminded him that he would need gas money, the language
barrier momentarily subsided. He said, “I need to study for my final exam
first.” I think my son is studying to be a negotiator.
“Okay, go
ahead and study first, but then I need you to take out the trash, fold your
clothes and work on college plans.”
The language
barrier returned, “Idon’tunderstandyourlanguage.”
Teens
understand and hear what they want, at a time that is convenient for them. My son
eventually completed the things that were asked of him, then returned to me
saying, “Ma, can I have that gas money now?”
I looked at
him with a glazed look in my eyes and said, “I don’t understand your language.”
Have you
ever experienced a language barrier with your child?
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