Skit #3 Take a Break Skit

J: Dad, can I have $10, and could you take me over to Sarah’s, and could you pick us up at Jane’s later this evening, and I’ve got a load of wash in the washer.  Could you switch it to the dryer in a few minutes, and when Bob calls would you tell him that I already talked to Jane and everything’s fine, and …

D:  Wait a minute.

J: What?

D: A few minutes ago you were mad at me because I asked you to get your clothes out of the bathroom.

J: I took care of that already.  Oh, that reminds me, I’m out of hair gel.  Could you run out and get some more?

D:  But you yelled at me.  All I did was ask you to get your clothes out of the bathroom.

J: Well you deserved it.

D: Why did I deserve it?

J:  Because you’re always telling me to get my clothes out of the bathroom.

D: I don’t want the bathroom messy.

J: That’s your hang up.  So shouldn’t you pick them up and put them in my room.

D:  Sometimes I do, but it’s not my job.  I want you to do it yourself.

J: Yeah, whatever.  So, can I have the $10 and will you take me over to Sarah’s and …

D: No.

J:  What do you mean no?

D:  That’s what I mean.  I’m not giving you anything and I don’t want you going anywhere until you deal with the way you treated me a few minutes ago.

J: (anger) What?  I have it all arranged.  Come on, Sarah’s waiting for me.  You always do this to me at the last minute.  You are the strictest dad in the whole world.

D: I’m sorry.  Anger isn’t going to work here to change my mind.

J: Oh.  Dad, you’re ruining my life.  You always do this to me.  This isn’t fair.  You never let me do what I want.

D: Dramatics isn’t going to work either.

J: Hmm … (sweet voice) Dad, I’m your daughter.  Your sweetheart.

D: Manipulation isn’t going to work either.

J: OK. Fine.  Sorry.  Does that make you feel better?

D: Not exactly.

J: What is it that you want?

D:  I want you to think about how you talk to me.  How I feel.  You give me the impression that you don’t care about me.  You just care about yourself.  When I ask you to pick up your clothes, I’d like a nice response, not yelling at me.

J: Come on Dad.  Teenagers are supposed to yell at their parents.  It’s in our DNA.

D: Our DNA?

J: Yeah, D-N-A, Dads ‘n Daughters Never Agree!

D: Come on Crissy.  We have a better relationship that.  We don’t have to be like other people.  I want you to spend some time thinking about how you’re treating me.

J: So, how long is this punishment going to last?  Will I ever get to spend time with my friends again?

D: It’s not a punishment and it’s really up to you how long it is.  I want you to take a break and think about it.  I’d like to see a change in your heart.

J: You mean like Uncle Fred?

D: Uncle Fred?

J: Yeah, he had to have a change of heart because he ate too much bacon.

D: I’m not talking about high cholesterol, I’m talking about a poor attitude.

J: I have a poor attitude?  You’re the one with the obsessive/compulsive clean bathroom disorder.

D:  Crissy, use your imagination and picture a world where you treat others as you would like to be treated.

J: I’m not sure Steven Spielberg could imagine that world.

D: Well, it would be nice if you’d admit your part of the problem.

J: It would be nicer if you liked messy bathrooms.

D: That’s not going to happen.  Maybe you could figure out a way to remember your clothes.

J: I keep forgetting to remember.

D: I wish you’d be willing to let me correct you sometimes. 

J:  That’s a good one dad, but seriously, what’s in this for me?

D: What's in it for me? We have a more serious problem than I thought.