Being the baby of the family certainly has its perks.
As the youngest of my four siblings, my family just kind of accepts (or has become resigned to) the fact that I’m forgetful, always running late and a serious procrastinator. And they pick up the slack for me because, well… I’m the baby.
With that being said, it can also go the other way. As in, sometimes I’m still not treated like an adult a little overprotected.
OK, so maybe I’ve been driving around with only one headlight for a few weeks.
And maybe Mom and Dad have made me promise suggested a few times that I get it fixed.
(Hey, I’m the baby. Shouldn’t this stuff get done for me!?)
In any case, yesterday I did something that brought great shame and disappointment to the parents who I would not put it past to have implanted a tracking device in me as a teenager:
I forgot my cell phone at home.
This meant that after having dinner with my parents last night (my husband Steve was at parent-teacher night at his school), I had to make the 15 minute drive back to my house with only one headlight – and no cell phone!
I know, I know – Stop. The. Presses!
So, this was my conversation with my parents when they became aware of this horrifying scenario.
Mom: I can’t believe you don’t have your phone on you!
Me: It’s not the end of the world. I’ll call you as soon as I get home.
Mom: What if you get stopped by the police?
Me: How would me having or not having my cell phone affect that whatsoever?
Mom: The cop could take your car away and leave you stranded!
Me: I highly doubt the cop would take my car away because it’s missing a headlight. And even if he did, do you really think he’d just leave me there to fend for myself without a car or a way to call someone?
Mom (ignoring my rational question): I can just picture you standing alone on the side of the road with your dogs – and no cell phone!
Dad’s turn to chime in:
Dad: Well, what route are you going to take home?
Me: Why?
Dad: If we don’t hear from you within a half hour, we’ll come looking for you.
You see what happens when there’s no one younger than you for your parents to go police interrogation, Law & Order-style on?
And while Audrey is usually my go-to person when I’m looking for sympathy only a sibling could provide, she is no use in a situation like this. She’s just as bad as my parents when it comes to overprotecting me.
Still, I have the ability now, as an almost-27-year-old, to look at this differently than I would have as a teenager. My parents aren’t trying to ruin run my life, as I once would have thought. (Yes, even though I’ve always had a fabulous relationship with my parents, I was an angst-ridden teenager at one point.)
They love me. They care about me. And when it comes down to it, I would gladly humor them, as overprotective as they may be, any day rather than have parents who could care less about my whereabouts – or my lack of cell phone and/or headlight.
*I’m looking forward to hearing Mom’s and/or Dad’s side of this story, too!
I agree. I used to think my parents were overprotective but now that I have children, I can totally understand why. Besides, it’s always nice to have someone looking out for you!
If I had a dollar for every time I “forgot” my cell phone . . .
We are a lot alike, you and I! 🙂
Jane, I’m the youngest at 46. Six years ago when moving to WA state you would think I never sold a house before or moved to another state. Seriously, I wish I could tell you that it would end, it won’t. Isn’t nice to know how loved we are. 🙂
Ohhhh. Kayyy.
I have very little to add to the re-cap of the cell phone/headlight incident.
EXCEPT that you, Jane, have been (often) known to forget your cell phone. Drive with no fuel. Forget leashes for Ryder and Biz and now Seth (who loves to bolt!). Wear flip-flops in the winter. Uggs in the summer. Take an alternate route that feeds your Mocha Coolata (with skim milk) addiction. Arrive one or two (or three) hours late. Your husband is difficult to reach on his cell phone (and isn’t a worrier). And, oh yeah… you refuse to own a land-line phone.
Sooooooooo, given the fact that your cell phone is my one and only means of communication with you. And your headlight is a legal issue here in The Ocean State.
And I can picture you stranded on the highway. Balancing your Coolata. Holding both Rydie and Seth (each 80
-100 pounds) in your other arm. Running in your flip-flops in the rain from the Rhode Island State Police for issuing a headlight citation. At night. With no gas in your car. No phone. Steve sound asleep at home. No home line.
Oh, I am too exhausted to continue!
Oh, my beautiful Baby Girl. What is a Mama to do?
Love, Mom (Sharon) – Pinks & Blues Girls
Not only am I the baby of all of my siblings, I also happened to be the baby amongst the cousins too. I got double the twittering over my every move! But like you, I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Hey Jet!
I second whatever Mom said.
That’s what I do…that’s my job!
(If I thought for one minute that she wouldn’t be reading this, I might venture to take your side a little, but I’m no fool.)
And…I’m watching you. Baby Girl !
And…I LOVE YOU !
And…by the way, do you want me to get that headlight fixed?
I will you know…
Love,
Dad
TOO funny. And cute. You dont’ have to be the baby of the family to be twittered over, though. Trust Me On This.
Get that headlight fixed, Jane! LOL
I can relate all too well with you!! I am the baby of the family as well and I’m also overprotected!!
I’m the youngest too- I understand what you’re talking about. Glad you made it home safe and sound!
Cheri
Well, I am the middle child, but 51 years old and my parents still want to hear from me daily. They still treat me like a child….What did we do before cell phones? You sound like my daughter, driving around with 1 headlight…
My sister is the baby and gets away with the being late thing all. the. time. And it does my head in and makes me swear like a sailor (quelle surprise).
I feel for your sister. 😉
That is so cute; being the eldest in the family, I’m also used to telling my sister and baby brother what to do. I feel really sorry for my brother sometimes because he’s so much younger – it’s like he had (and still has) 3 mothers! Now that he’s got a baby of his own, his head is spinning with unwanted advice!
I was the baby of the family for 16 years and then my mom got a little “surprise” at 40. Now my little sister gets what I used to. I feel as if I have had a narrow escape.
By the way, reading your post and your parents comments, I must say what I am sure has been said before, and what you all obviously feel: What a great family!!!
This totally sounds like my parents. And I’m the oldest. When I went away to college, I had to call my mom every night when I got back to my dorm. Completely embarrassing!
OMG!!!! I just read your moms story….we are SOOOOO TWINS!!!! rotf!!!
I am a MIA shopping, gotta go around my a88 end to get to my elbow (just to get that latte), NEVER have the cell on, NEVER remember gas, ALWAYS getting pulled over mamma of two!
BUT I am the second of 5!! (mom has two younger dad has one younger)
I can’t help it all those years of dyeing my hair never took away my natural blonde instincts!
(i don’t even have a cell phone)
I know, I know. I keep saying to myself, “You have three kids and no cell phone. You’re just asking for the car to break down in the middle of nowhere. You’re just asking for one of the kids to get sick at school and the nurse not able to reach you because you’re out shopping.”
gotta get me one of those darn things . . .
How do you find diapers in your size?
Thanks for this Jane & Co. The best chain of thoughts of tonight.
I love how caring your parents are, but at the same time I’m OK that my parents don’t really know many THAT specific things of my life. Ha, it takes them 30 minutes to find me from the world map 🙂
Then again, it made me thinking what a bad daughter I am. I can e-mail my parents “we are moving to the other side of the country tomorrow, I’ll e-mail when we get there” – three weeks later. While they don’t call me on my cell phone, I guess they think me of this some sort of supergirl, who can do anything. Or maybe they are just trying to forget that I excist after me giving them too many heart attacks?
As the husband of the baby of her family, I even call her Baby Couto (eventhough her name is Porricelli (for which I am most grateful)) I can state how much of a baby she still is in many regards. Now, the tough thing about being married to a baby, is that I too am the baby, so just imagine our house, nothing ever gets done, we were the babies. Besides being a baby I am the husband and my job is to take care of my wife, so I should go and get the light fixed, right?? Yes, it is right from the husband perspective, but from the baby perspective I do not do things. I have the toughest job of anyone in the family, I have to protect my wife, and treat her like the baby, when I am the baby. Jane, might be late, have little gas, no dog leashes, a coffee thing, no sensible shoes on, etc. however she was raised by great parents who however much they over-protected her did teach her to be a smart person who is capable, (when she wants to be) of taking care of herself and others. I love my baby wife.
Omg, this post with the family-commenting-follow up is so funny tonight! I’m the oldest of 4, so I can relate to Audrey on this one. I have a baby sis who is just like you tho…and despite all those things that she’s prone to do, that are like your mom describes you doing, somehow and someway she STILL always gets her way, and nothing bad ever happens to her! 🙂
The fact that you and hubby are both the babies, is too funny. Hopefully the fact that he needs to be all manly and stuff will help to get the light fixed sooner rather than later. Honestly I would let that go too…maybe we need to start a procrastinators anonymous blog. The problem is, all the bloggers we invite to join would never get back to us!
Too cute! They love you!
AHH! I found this post tonight after coming home from such an episode I just had with my parents (did a google on “parents treat me like a child”). I’ll be 25 in one month and Im an only child (gasp!!). Im glad to see I’m not the only “adult” who get this treatment! I’m married and 4 months pregnant with my own child, do not drink, never done drugs, was always the “goody goody” – never gave mom and dad cause to worry. The ONLY time we fight or have arguments is when they treat me like I dont have a brain to reason. People who do not get the “baby” type treatment from their parents do not understand – I see “rational” self help books and answers that say “talk to your parents, explain, reason, assert your known independance, blah blah blah”. Sure. RIGHT! Try telling someone who doesn’t understand our situation “Im sorry, my mom wouldnt let me…or my mom needs me to.. etc”. Usually I find (in my case – i guess maybe in your case too) we cater to our parents to AVOID the fights, conflict, and hurt that butting up to it would cause! For instance, I would rather treck 10 miles out of my way to pick up a forgotten cell phone (even it its just to go grocery shopping) than to listen to one word of my mom crying or yelling or “visualizing bad scenarios” when she tried to call and (gasp) didnt get me if i didnt have it with me!! I hate phones – I’d have just one for 911 if i could get by with it but my parents “MUST” have constant contact with me and know “Im ok” or I’d catch HELL. Like what happened to me tonight. My husband took me to my evening college class – he forgot his cell. Mine was OFF during class – I had told them I would be out at 8:30 to 8:40 (official end time). I didnt get out til 8:42. They called my phone (which of course was muted in class) at 8:35. And didnt get me. I got in the car and had to make a quick call to a cousin who needed something – she ended up talking my ear off for 20 minutes – the entire time it took to get to my parents house (we always stop by for a quick visit after class). I walked in to HELL. “Don’t you EVER do that again! you had us so worried! blah blah!”. I tried to reason that I JUST got out at 8:40 and was on the phone with a talkative cousin – but there just was NO rationalizing with the parents of an only “child” that they worry about – even if i am 25. GRR. After 5 minutes of being yelled at and glared at and fussed at…I stormed out crying and my husband and I came home. Sometimes its too much and it hurts too much to endure. I hate feeling treated like a child, like I make “wrong decisions”, like I have done something wrong – when in a regular adults life, I HAVEN’T (forgetting a cell phone is NOT a crime – although I think I’d rather be thrown in jail than to face my mother when she realizes I have forgotten the almighty cell phone or haven’t called her). Don’t get me wrong – I love my parents and am VERY close to them…but sometimes the pressure of “pleasing them” and “keeping the peace” for peace’s sake gets to be too much. Anyway. 🙂 Sorry for such a long comment – I just needed to vent!!! ~lisa