QOTD: Responsibiilties

[bcgal00]

I was talking to the manager at Taz's vet's office (he went in for a teeth cleaning today) and she was telling me about her struggles with her daughter and lack of responsibility. We had a long discussion about it and how frustrating it can be as a parent to try to teach our children about responsibility.

So my question of the day is.....

What is a responsibility that you struggle or have strugged with, either with yourself or someone else?

[bcgal00]

A little thing I struggle with is trying to be patient with my neighbors. It is each homeowner's responsibility to keep our garbage cans locked as we have bears in our area. Our one neighbor constantly leaves the lock off his, the bears come (they remember that his garbage is often accessible) and not only do they damage his property, they damage ours too. A bear broke our fence a few yrs ago and it cost us a fortune to put in a new fence.

I try to remember that it is not my place to say anything, that they are adults and responsible for their own choices but it is really hard to bite my tongue. I know if I say anything they'll just get defensive and it'll cause a rift between us and would probably start doing little petty things to tick us off (that's the kind of people they are). The good news is that their home is going on the market soon so they might sell this spring. Of course, we have no idea what kind of neighbors will replace them but fingers crossed it will be a responsible family that we can happily coexist with.

[Leablahblah]

Originally Posted by bcgal00

A little thing I struggle with is trying to be patient with my neighbors. It is each homeowner's responsibility to keep our garbage cans locked as we have bears in our area. Our one neighbor constantly leaves the lock off his, the bears come (they remember that his garbage is often accessible) and not only do they damage his property, they damage ours too. A bear broke our fence a few yrs ago and it cost us a fortune to put in a new fence.

I try to remember that it is not my place to say anything, that they are adults and responsible for their own choices but it is really hard to bite my tongue. I know if I say anything they'll just get defensive and it'll cause a rift between us and would probably start doing little petty things to tick us off (that's the kind of people they are). The good news is that their home is going on the market soon so they might sell this spring. Of course, we have no idea what kind of neighbors will replace them but fingers crossed it will be a responsible family that we can happily coexist with.

aaah neighbors!! We all have troubles with neighbors! That's quite annoying. Maybe when the next neighbors show up you can tell them about the bear problem and they will get it.

We just moved into a townhouse and my concern is always that people hear me yell after my girls, or hear them crying and all. One neighbor who introduced herself said she couldn't hear anything and a few days after I heard their music blasting through the walls. I thought it was well insulated so I think their speakers are right on our wall but it's as if hearing a car parked outside your windows with the music on. Quite annoying. And everyday since...

We also have no solution for garbage. You would think there would be a better solution for a nice community like that but people just drop their bags of garbage in a corner (which happens to be in front of our house since we are the close to end unit) but if it doesn't make the cut it just stays there for a week or more and of course there are rodents and birds... garbage flying everywhere...

But none of that is about responsibility… lol
Things I don't like doing is calling people on the phone. Insurance or inquiring about schools for my daughter or anything really. It makes me so nervous. I'd rather drive and inquire than call.

[rach3975]

Fingers crossed they move and great new neighbors move in, Rae! For me, it's going to bed when I should. I've always been a night owl, and often the only time I get to myself is late at night. I tell myself I'm going to be better and have an alarm set on my fitbit to remind me when I should get off the computer and go to bed, but I ignore it a lot more often than I make the smart choice.

[bcgal00]

Originally Posted by Leablahblah

Things I don't like doing is calling people on the phone. Insurance or inquiring about schools for my daughter or anything really. It makes me so nervous. I'd rather drive and inquire than call.

Me too....I hate making business phone calls. Right now my (lack of) responsibility is calling our accountant. I hate talking to him b/c I never understand what he is saying, its all jibberish to me. I just don't understand the tax stuff.

[bcgal00]

Rachel - I'm terrible sometimes at going to bed at a decent hour. If I get engrossed in tv binge watching, I carry it over to bedtime and watch for a few extra hrs before falling asleep. Then I wonder why I'm exhausted in the morning LOL. Right now I'm binging Roswell New Mexico.

[LynnZant]

I usually plan all our trip, get the hotel, airline tickets, etc. This past trip I was a little stressed about going to NYC for whatever reason, so I went to a travel agency for some help. They don't give you confirmation numbers so that you can double check them, and well, let's just say that I had some problems with lots of things. We got back yesterday, and I tell you, I'll never farm out my responsibilities again. Ugh!


I hope you get some great neighbors with some sense about them who are afraid of bears.

[rdjrneace]

I struggle with the way children are taught today -- I have 8 grandchildren and feel that my kids/in-laws are not teaching the kids any responsibility. I don't see them being consistent with the kids and allowing some to get by with anything and others being held to different standards.

How can we expect good workers in the future if we don't teach children those responsibilities?

[nietis]

I am with Debbie on the way people teach their kids these days. I am pretty strict on my son, especially on the behaviour side.

I am another that is guilty for not sleeping early enough at night. I am trying hard to change that, though.

[bcgal00]

Lynn....aside from the problems with the travel agency...hope you had a great trip. I never did make it to NYC and I should have gone when I lived in Ontario, it was much closer (and cheaper) to go from there rather than the west coast of BC where I live now.

Debbie - wow, 8 grands...yes, it is hard when parenting is done differently than you would do it, you want to step in but you can't. I always just give gentle advice and thoughts and hope that some of it sinks in.

Sherly - sleeping....ugh. Taz got his dental surgery at the vet yesterday so was pretty out of it when I brought him home last night and went to sleep right away. So, of course, he woke me up at 2:30 to go outside. Then this morning I woke up early, thinking my hubs was calling me to get up (he gets up 1/2 hr before me) but I was dreaming it, he didn't call me but at that point I was awake. Hope tonight I sleep better and don't stay up late.