15 year old Rocky woke me up this morning to remind me that she was going to the midnight premiere of a movie tonight.  Midnight premiere, as in 12 o’clock midnight, as in 3 hours after her school night curfew? 

I don’t think so!

“But mom, you said I could and I’ve already made plans!” she protested.

First of all, I would never agree to her going to a midnight screening of a movie on a school night so I’m thinking she left that little detail out when she asked me… and secondly, quite honestly, I don’t remember hearing any definite plans on the subject.  I know she wanted to go with her boyfriend but I don’t recall her ever giving me a date.  And I know I would never have agreed to letting her go on a school night.

It’s the old play on memory routine, one I used on my own parents many times in the past.

“Don’t you remember?  I asked you a long time ago and you said it was okay!”  says the child with an innocent and sincere looking face.  Of course, guilt stricken, the parent racks it’s brain and shuffles through scattered memories to replay the conversation but to no avail.  However, in order to save face, the parent feigns recollection and even parts with a couple of extra dollars of apologetic ‘hush money’, and the child skips away happily.

Except, I know for a fact I never would have agreed to a midnight movie on a school night.  Daughter argues, I argue louder. Daughter bursts into tears.  I burst into tears.  I give in and tell her to go.  She sniffs and says she doesn’t want to go any more.  We apologize and hug, wiping tears and snot on each other before she departs for school.

I’m not sure who came out the winner in this one, but I’m thinking that my youngest daughter will probably be at the midnight premiere of a movie when I get home from work tonight… and if I fuss about it, she will say “Don’t you remember?  You said I could go this morning!”

I hope she grows up to have lots of children… just like herself!

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