Emily The Relentless
Aug. 23rd, 2006 02:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plumtreeblossomYesterday I got a voicemail: it was my neice Emily, age 9, once again harping at me to buy her a cell phone.
There's some backstory to this.
This past Christmas at my mom's, Emily caught me at a moment when the whole family was wine-drunk and buoyant with good cheer (for once). She's a slick kid, and she recognized the perfect opportunity to beg me to buy her a cell phone. Without giving it one millisecond's thought, I festively blurted "You bet, sweetie!" If only I'd known what I'd just done.
It came back to bite me in the butt a few weeks later.
*ring*ring*
"Hello?"
"Where's my cell phone?"
"Emily?"
"Where's my cell phone?!"
"Well, uh, we'll have to look into that..."
What hadn't been discussed was a calling plan, which I definitely didn't promise. After consulting my brother Jim, he told me not to buy her a phone no matter what I might have said, because he can't even afford a mobile calling plan for himself, let alone for a 4th grade child. I can't afford it either, only the phone unit. I was happy to obey him, and we both told Emily that the phone thing wasn't going to happen for a few more years.
Try telling that to Emily.
Since then, she and I have barely had a conversation that wasn't about the phone. I'll say "How's school?" and she'll say "It would be better if I had a cell phone." Her voicemail yesterday sounded downright rehearsed, like a 9-year-olds version of a spoken PowerPoint presentation outlining why I must buy her a cell phone.
She's severely working my nerves. It's hard because I'm a rather unique female role model in her life. I'm the only adult relative she's ever had who is cool, and to her I'm glamorous, the city aunt who does shiny things like riding in subways and eating in restaurants with real metal cutlery. I don't have any other nieces or nephews, so I do shower her with what I can afford. I buy her Godiva Chocolate and high heels. But there's a limit to what Auntie Fabulous can afford. Plus, I've been (wisely) forbidden by my brother to buy her a phone.
I have very little communication experience with children. But this nagging has to stop. Those among you who are parents, or seasoned Aunts and Uncles, help me out?
There's some backstory to this.
This past Christmas at my mom's, Emily caught me at a moment when the whole family was wine-drunk and buoyant with good cheer (for once). She's a slick kid, and she recognized the perfect opportunity to beg me to buy her a cell phone. Without giving it one millisecond's thought, I festively blurted "You bet, sweetie!" If only I'd known what I'd just done.
It came back to bite me in the butt a few weeks later.
*ring*ring*
"Hello?"
"Where's my cell phone?"
"Emily?"
"Where's my cell phone?!"
"Well, uh, we'll have to look into that..."
What hadn't been discussed was a calling plan, which I definitely didn't promise. After consulting my brother Jim, he told me not to buy her a phone no matter what I might have said, because he can't even afford a mobile calling plan for himself, let alone for a 4th grade child. I can't afford it either, only the phone unit. I was happy to obey him, and we both told Emily that the phone thing wasn't going to happen for a few more years.
Try telling that to Emily.
Since then, she and I have barely had a conversation that wasn't about the phone. I'll say "How's school?" and she'll say "It would be better if I had a cell phone." Her voicemail yesterday sounded downright rehearsed, like a 9-year-olds version of a spoken PowerPoint presentation outlining why I must buy her a cell phone.
She's severely working my nerves. It's hard because I'm a rather unique female role model in her life. I'm the only adult relative she's ever had who is cool, and to her I'm glamorous, the city aunt who does shiny things like riding in subways and eating in restaurants with real metal cutlery. I don't have any other nieces or nephews, so I do shower her with what I can afford. I buy her Godiva Chocolate and high heels. But there's a limit to what Auntie Fabulous can afford. Plus, I've been (wisely) forbidden by my brother to buy her a phone.
I have very little communication experience with children. But this nagging has to stop. Those among you who are parents, or seasoned Aunts and Uncles, help me out?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-23 08:09 pm (UTC)