<p>The her closet isn’t organized unless all the hangers match</p>
<p>That her sister knows exactly where everything is in her room, and the dog walks in and tries to find open space on the floor to nap then turns around and leaves</p>
<p>That poor dad has to be careful when he compliments because some days, everything is an insult</p>
<p>and that the swimsuit does cost lest than his suit he wore for graduation like 200 years ago</p>
<p>MHC, you might want to adopt one of my phrases, “First National Bank of Dad.” Though, to be fair, she has not asked for any money while she’s at college. When she’s <em>home</em>, however…</p>
<p>My parents know I’m home when there’s tofu in the fridge, long blonde hairs all over the place, and a library’s worth of books all over the dining room table.</p>
<p>I can totally relate, and have this to add: when visiting colleges recently, my daughter, G, showed little reation to any of the three we’d visited, until we got to Quinnipiac. There she grabbed my arm, and excited called me – Mom, she said, look! … THOSE are the shoes I’ve been looking for! </p>
<p>We’re not talking about a ditz here – she takes honors and ap classes… but this is where her head’s at. And I doubt I’m alone, right?</p>
<p>Finally, a daughter like mine! “My parents know I’m home when there’s tofu in the fridge, long blonde hairs all over the place, and a library’s worth of books all over the dining room table.” Okay, except for the long blonde hair. And the books? Well, they could be mine or her brothers. tofu is all her.</p>
<p>My daughter does love shoes but they’re Clark clogs, all different kinds of sneakers and birkenstock sandals. She never buys anything unless it’s on sale and the name brands she likes are patagonia and REI. New thing is checking the labels to see if they are made in a sweatshop country. I think these girls come in all shapes and sizes…</p>
<p>And can I share something I realized tonight? After raising a daughter that lived in the bathroom, I knew I had a son when he announced he was going to met someone at 5:00, and started getting ready at 4:52.</p>
<p>I tell my wife and older daughter to let me know when they’re ready. That’s when I START to get ready and I still have the car out of the garage and running with younger daughter inside before they walk out the door.</p>
<p>TheDad – You forgot one step. You have to cover yourself with Axe or Tag body spray. Someone convinced teenage boys this stuff smells macho and attractive to girls. Someone was wrong.</p>
<p>Peggy, I’ve never been much of one for artificial scent myself, preferring attention to hygiene instead (and blessed by living in a low-humidity area that makes this approach feasible) but I think I grok the notion that for teenage males, the modulated, nuanced approach of “just a little” might lose out to “if a little is good, a lot must be great.”</p>
<p>I didn’t realize this Axe phenomenon was so wide-spread! That stuff is toxic. The way my S uses it, I think we’re responsible for several holes in the ozone… At least my Ds perfume is not aerosal. </p>
<p>And, how is it that my S spends an typically an hour in the shower daily, then on an occasion when we’re going out as a family and I ask him to take a shower before we leave, he refuses (on moral grounds)… i mean, it’s too obvious to say, “Please don’t take a shower before we leave,” isn’t it??</p>
<p>Another Mom of a 16 year old boy. Had to go check his room for his choice of brand. Tag. It is so important that it has a place in the bedroom versus his bathroom. Also he is a fan of Old Spice Arctic Freeze deodorant. That stuff is potent. For the mornings he is really running late he just gets out of bed puts on the jeans that are on the floor wears whatever shirt he slept in and sprays away. The Old Spice is next to the bed so no need to even enter the bathroom. Especially since he still at 16 can’t seem to remember to brush his teeth without Mom hounding him. So Mom and sister’s figure he must not have a girlfriend.
He does shower most days. Sometimes twice a day but doesn’t always remember to wash his hair.</p>
<p>Reading your post is like dejavu all over again. My S also needs to be told (still at 15!) to brush his teeth… And what’s with the long showers that don’t include washing hair??? His greasy hair makes him break out on his forehead. He wears his jean jacket daily, and adds John Lennon glasses for effect. He gets teased for those I think though. HS is tough on the identity.</p>
<p>the daily jean jacket reminds me of my favorite rock god.
he has worn the same shirts for years, I have pictures of him 10 years ago in the same flannel shirts and the same t-shirts that he still wears ( well not so much the t-shirts, but he does wear them into the ground)
It is definitely a guy thing.</p>