March 17, 2006
I’ve become a complete embarrassment to my daughters. Situations that never used to bother me seem completely inappropriate now that I’m a mother, and so I find myself complaining all the time.
kAm%96 7:CDE E:>6 :E 92AA6?65 x 4@F=5 92G6 DH@C? :E H2D 2? :D@=2E65 :?4:56?E] (6 H6C6 2E E96 >@G:6D[ @FE 7@C 2 72>:=J 6G6?:?8 @7 7F? 2?5 C6=2I2E:@?[ 2?5 DF556?=J x 7@F?5 >JD6=7 :? E96 =@33J @7 E96 E962EC6[ 2C8F:?8 H:E9 E96 E66?286 >2?286C @G6C 2? @G6CE D6IF2= C676C6?46 :? 2 >@G:6 H:E9 2 “v” C2E:?8] }665=6DD[ E@ D2J[ >J C2?E:?8 2?5 C2G:?8 5:5 ?@ 8@@5[ 2?5 E96 724E E92E x H2D ?62C=J 2A@A=64E:4 D66>65 E@ 36 FEE6C=J =@DE @? E96 A@@C 25@=6D46?E >2?286C]k^Am
kAmqJ E96 ?6IE :?4:56?E[ x 3682? E@ D66 2 A2EE6C? 6>6C8:?8] (6 H2=<65 :?E@ 2 =@42= G:56@ DE@C6 2?5 E96C6 :? 7C@?E @7 >6[ E24<65 @? E96 H2== 369:?5 E96 4@F?E6C H2D 2 A@DE6C @7 E96 >@G:6 “$2H]” p 5:CEJ[ 5C:65 @FE 92?5 2?5 7@@E H6C6 A=2465 2E 2? @55 2?8=6 E@ 6249 @E96C[ @3G:@FD=J D6G6C65 7C@> D@>6 3@5J] %96 E:E=6[ @7 4@FCD6[ D2JD :E 2==[ D@ H9J 5@ E96J 6G6? ?665 E96D6 8C2A9:4 :>286Dnk^Am
kAmx H2D D9@4<65 2?5 C6AF=D65 3J E96 5:DA=2J[ 2?5 3@E96C65 6G6? >@C6 3J E96 :562 E92E @E96C 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 6>A=@J66D 5:5?’E D66> E@ 6G6? ?@E:46 :E] r6CE2:?=J[ E96J 5:5?’E D66> 3@E96C65 3J E96 :?76C6?46 @7 G:@=6?46 E96 A@DE6C :>A=:65]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6 x 4@>A=2:?65] x 42?’E D66> E@ <66A >J >@FE9 D9FE]k^Am
kAm“%92E A@DE6C :D 6IEC6>6=J 5:DE2DE67F= 2?5 :?2AAC@AC:2E6[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C 49:=5C6?[” x DE6C?=J 25>@?:D965 E96 4=6C<[ 2 A:>A=J\72465 D:IE66?\J62C\@=5[ H9@ =@@<65 36H:=56C65[ D9CF8865 9:D D9@F=56CD 2?5 >F>3=65 E92E 96 H@F=5 “E6== E96 >2?286C]”k^Am
kAmxE E@@< EH@ DF49 G:D:ED 2?5 EH@ DF49 4@>A=2:?ED[ 3FE @? >J E9:C5 G:D:E[ E96 A@DE6C H2D :? 724E 8@?6 7C@> E96 H2==] x 76=E 2 D=:89E E9C:== @7 EC:F>A9]k^Am
kAm!6C92AD D>2== 24E:G:DE 42>A2:8?D 42? :?5665 H:6=5 C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAm|2?J H66<D =2E6C x H2=<65 :?E@ 2 =@42= 4=@E9:?8 DE@C6 7@C J@F?8 E66?D 2?5 25F=ED[ 3C@HD:?8 7@C 3:CE952J 8:7ED 7@C >J `c\J62C\@=5 ?6A96H] pD x =@@<65 E9C@F89 E96 E\D9:CED x C625 D@>6 @7 E96 D=@82?D @? 2 76H[ A=2465 G6CJ ?62C E96 7C@?E H:?5@H]k^Am
kAm“$A@@?:?8 =625D E@ 7@C<:?8[” @?6 AC@4=2:>65] “|J 8:C=7C:6?5 5@6D?’E HC6DE=6[ 3FE J@F D9@F=5 D66 96C 3@I[” 2?@E96C =@F5=J AC@4=2:>65]k^Am
kAm~?46 282:?[ x 4@F=5 ?@E <66A >J >@FE9 D9FEPk^Am
kAm“%96D6 E\D9:CED 2C6 G6CJ D6IF2==J 6IA=:4:E[” x C6>2C<65 E@ E96 >2?286C[ 2 G6CJ ?:46[ G6CJ J@F?8[ =25J H9@ D>:=65[ 3FE C625:=J 28C665] “(92E @? 62CE9 2C6 E96J 5@:?8 :? 2 DE@C6 E92E >2C<6ED E@ J@F?8 E66?286CD[” x 2D<65[ C2E96C A@:?E=6DD=J[ D:?46 D96 D9CF8865 2?5 D66>65 F?23=6 E@ 2?DH6C >J C96E@C:42= BF6DE:@?]k^Am
kAm%@ 96C 4C65:E[ 9@H6G6C[ D96 5:5 D66> 4@?46C?65 2?5 @776C65 E@ 6IAC6DD >J 7CFDEC2E:@? E@ 96C 5:DEC:4E >2?286C H9@ H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 G:D:E:?8 E96 DE@C6 =2E6C E92E >@C?:?8] %96 ?6IE E:>6 x H2D :? E96 DE@C6[ >2?J H66<D =2E6C[ E96 E\D9:CED H6C6 8@?6[ AC@323=J 4@>A=6E6=J D@=5 @FE E@ E66?D W2?5 AC6\E66?DX H9@ >2J @C >2J ?@E 6G6? 92G6 ?@E:465 2 D6IF2= C676C6?46[ 3FE E9@F89E E96J H6C6 4@@= ?6G6CE96=6DD]k^Am
kAm$@>6 DE@C6D x H@?’E 6G6? H2=< :?E@ 2?J>@C6] %96 =2DE E:>6 x 3C@HD65 E9C@F89 p36C4C@>3:6 U2>Aj u:E49 2?5 ?@E:465 E96 =:76 D:K6 A@DE6CD @7 2=>@DE ?F56 J@F?8 H@>6? C64=:?:?8 D6I:=J 282:?DE 7F==J 4=25 J@F?8 >6?[ x 564:565 6?@F89 :D 6?@F89] x DE:== H:6=5 >@DE @7 E96 3FJ:?8 A@H6C :? >J 72>:=J[ 2?5 4@>A2?:6D E92E AC@>@E6 E92E :>286 @7 D6IF2=:EJ 7@C E66?D H:== ?@E D66 2?J >@C6 @7 >J >@?6J]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ E96 724E E92E E96 AC:46D 2C6 C:5:4F=@FD[ E96 D:K6D 2C6 D<:>AJ 2?5 E96 4=6C<D 2C6 2== D?@33J 96=A65 >2<6 E96 564:D:@? 62D:6C]k^Am
kAm|J >@DE C646?E 42>A2:8? :D 2 A6CD@?2= @?6[ 27764E:?8 @?=J >6] x’> 3@J4@EE:?8 2== @7 E96 6G6?:?8 E6=6G:D:@? D9@HD 23@FE >FC56C]k^Am
kAmpE E96 6?5 @7 >J 52J x 6?;@J D:EE:?8 5@H? 2?5 >:?5=6DD=J H2E49:?8 D@>6E9:?8 6?E6CE2:?:?8 2?5 6?;@J23=6] qFE =2E6=J 2== x 42? 7:?5 @? E6=6G:D:@? 2C6 AC@8C2>D C6G@=G:?8 2C@F?5 9@>:4:56D] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ x’G6 9:E 2 3C:4< H2== :? E92E 2C62]k^Am
kAmx ;FDE 42?’E D66> E@ DE@>249 2?J>@C6 “r$x” 2?5 2== E96 @E96C 8C:D=J D9@HD 56E6C>:?65 E@ @FE5@ 6249 @E96C :? A@CEC2J:?8 :?4C62D:?8=J >@C6 3:K2CC6[ 5:DEFC3:?8 2?5 8@CJ >FC56CD[ :?4=F5:?8 5:D8FDE:?8 D46?6D 7C@> :?D:56 E96 3@5:6D @7 E96 >FC56C G:4E:>D] #62==J[ =:76 :D >F49 E@@ D9@CE E@ 36 H2E49:?8 2 DE625J DEC62> @7 DF49 325 ?6HD]k^Am
kAmp?5 J6E E92E D66>D E@ 36 23@FE E96 @?=J E9:?8 @? E96D6 52JD 36D:56D C62=:EJ D9@HD] $@ 7@C ?@H x’> 7:==:?8 >J 6G6?:?8D H:E9 @E96C 24E:G:E:6D[ <?@H:?8 E9:D :D @?6 32EE=6 x H@?’E H:?]k^Am
kAmqFE x’> DE:== E2=<:?8 23@FE :E E@ >J 72>:=J[ 6DA64:2==J >J 52F89E6CD[ 6G6? E9@F89 3J ?@H E96J 92G6 8@EE6? FD65 E@ >J 4@>A=2:?:?8 2?5 2C6 AC@323=J EF?:?8 >6 @FE]k^Am
kAmp4EF2==J[ E96 >@C6 x E9:?< 23@FE :E[ x AC@323=J =62C?65 E9:D =6DD@? 7C@> E96>i :7 J@F 4@>A=2:? =@F5 6?@F89 2?5 =@?8 6?@F89[ D@>63@5J[ D@>6H96C6 :D 3@F?5 E@ =:DE6? — 6G6?EF2==JPk^Am
