Not falling for that baloney

I know I often mention reasons why my girls will need counseling in the future due to my parenting, so why not add another?

Apparently, I am a bad mother because I won’t let them get a puppy. I’m stealing their joy, ruining their childhood. Children are supposed to grow up with a dog.

For some reason, they’ve determined that I am neglecting them by not allowing a puppy to grow up in our house.

First of all, neglecting? I give those girls everything and do almost anything for them. I take them on trips, buy them the cool clothes, take them out to eat, and lots of other special treats. Not to mention providing a nice, warm home, good food and all the basic needs a human has to have to survive comfortably. And … I spend all my attention on them, counsel them through crisis, laugh at their stories and bend over backward to help them with projects and fundraisers and whatever else they have going on.

They are NOT by any means neglected!

Secondly, and most importantly, we still have a dog! Granted, she is pushing 84 in dog years but she’s still a dog that lives in our backyard, waiting for these same girls that want a puppy to come out and pay attention to her.

When she’s awake, that is. Yes, she sleeps for like 12 hours a day, waddles around now and then, can hardly hear and squints to see who is petting her but last time I checked, she’s still alive!

She can’t chase a ball or play tug-o-war or go for a walk around the neighborhood, but she’s still cute and fluffy. Her face is all white now and most of her teeth are gone, but she still likes to get a treat and get her coat brushed.

“But we’ll take care of it all by ourselves and you won’t have to do anything, we promise!” Yak right! The infamous line kids have been using for years.

So they’ll get up in the middle of the night to let it out and they’ll teach it not to bark or bite or jump? And they’ll make sure it’s fed and bathed and take it to the vet for its appointments?

And they’ll come home at midnight after their ball games and clean up its poop as well as all the other messes a puppy makes? And they’ll take it for a walk when its 30 below zero and dark outside?

Ya right! Not only will I be paying for all the food and puppy things, I’ll also be the one up in the middle of the night or walking it at 10 pm at night cause no one else did and cleaning up all the messes.

I’ll be the one hauling it to the vet and arranging to kennel it when we’re gone and teaching it to not jump or bite. 100% guaranteed I will! So I’m not falling for their “you won’t have to do anything” baloney! And I’m also not falling for their guilt trip that somehow they’re missing out on a genuine childhood by not having a puppy in the home. Nice try!

I grew up without a dog and guess what? Turned out totally normal! Don’t have any missing pieces or regrets!

Sorry girls! Maybe try another avenue because as much as I love puppies, I’m not giving in to your reasoning.

You can talk to your counselor about it in the future.