65.Yoursquo;re trying to control my life, says my nine-year-old son. I donrsquo;t know why you think you can do that, but you canrsquo;t. I receive this bit of information after I asked Gabriele to pu
65.“You’re trying to control my life,” says my nine-year-old son. “I don’t know why you think you can do that, but you can’t.” I receive this bit of information after I asked Gabriele to put his dirty socks in the basket. And I get no sympathy from my mother, who says, “You let him have his way from the beginning.”
It’s true; I have always asked Gabriele’s opinion, found out how he felt about things—treated him as my peer, not as my child. And what have I got from my troubles? A lot of back talk. At least I’m not alone; it’s a complaint heard among parents across the country.
