Question from Trudy

Question from Trudy:

OK here it is. first my mom never hits me. me and my bother got into a fight at mcdonalds we threw ketchup on each other. im older im 15 he is 13. i got some ketchup on some woman clothes and my mom had to reimburse 45 dollars for the damage. my mom freak out on me told me i was a immature baby and my brother to in front of people in mcdonlads. Leaving mcdonalds she told us that she should get us some pacifiers and some pampers and a playpen. people were looking at me. like she was right. she took away my x box and games and i pod i cant go out on weekends now. on the car ride home she is yelling at us telling us when she goes to walmart she should buy us a cribs and rattles

 Can i turn her into CPS for abuse saying those things to me? isnt it slander or something saying lies about someone. saying i need pampers and making me look bad in public. just to scare her and For the record he started it my brother not me. its not fair now she is not going to let me take drivers ed in school. she told me that im to imature to drive that babies dont get to do grown up things. she saying all these mean things to me. I have a right to drive? cant they make her a better mom or something. this suxs so bad wut she did to me.

Answer from Veronica:

I do not think that her comments are going to be considered abuse or slander by the CPS. Although I do agree that her words were harsh, I also feel that she might have been under a little bit of stress at that moment. It seems like your mother felt that you and your brother misbehaved and she is now carrying out her punishment. It might not seem fair to you and it might even seem a little cruel and that is a typical outlook for teenagers, I know because I had the same outlook when I was your age. I think that maybe you should apologize to your mother for your actions at McDonalds and for costing her $45. After you give her a GENUINE apology, talk to her about what she said to you. Let her know that her words hurt you. When you are speaking to her about this, try to remember your place as the teenager and hers as the parent. Explain that you know you and your brother were wrong, but that you feel her words might have been a little too harsh considering the circumstances.

Parents are a lot more willing to speak to their kids then most kids realize. If you approach her the right way, apologize for your misbehavior FIRST, and they move on to talk about how her words hurt you, I am pretty sure you will have a smooth conversation.

Remember, calling CPS is a very big step, and one that cannot be undone. Before you call them accusing your mother of abuse, remember that they will come to your door and question your mother. It will hurt and embarrass her to have that happen; you wouldn’t want to cause her that pain simply because of miscommunication.

Please let me know how things work out with you and her, and feel free to ask me anything else!