Who pushes your button?

Every year when school starts, we go through the same arguments and same fights and the home becomes more or less a war zone.
The back pack as it is called.. The school bag or the bag one takes to school loaded with books as if the seams are going to burst.
I still remember the day before my kid started kindergarten I bought him a scoobydoo back pack. At that time ofcourse kid was fond of scoobydoo and all was happy in the household. And I was content that the matter of the school bag was laid to rest. In my days not much thought was given to these bags. We usually took whatever was found in the house. Most of the time it was tattered or worn out. For this parents arguments were “You know Ramu mama took this when he was in school and look now how successfully he is employed” and this sealed the discussion. No more was thought of it and we just carried this old bag.
But these days things are different which was brought for my enlightment by myown son when started first standard. He simply refused to take the scoobydoo school bag on the contention that there was a flower design on the front of the bag. This flower was just a small design maybe one inch big but he just refused claiming all the boys will tease him. Ofcourse with motherly love I caved in for his desire to buy a new back pack and thus unsuspectingly started a trend of buying back packs.
Ever since those days, the same school arguments started each year. About the need of buying a new back pack among other things. There was the inevitable need to buy a new lunch box too. Somehow magically the lunch boxes disappeared.
So again we have started our arguments today.. as school opens a little bit later than it does in Chennai. This year he wanted a carry only bag because that’s what all his friends had. I ofcourse can be said that I am just a little bit smarted than those years and so now I refused.
Ofcourse son was taken aback with this turn of events. And he tried his skills at persuasion and I had to totally fight and say NO. Ofcourse kids are smarter these days and he approached his father with his request. His father ofcourse said NO and after giving some time to lapse he again approached me. Now I was fedup with this pestering and got angry and said NO very loudly.
For this my dh said “He is pushing your buttons.”?
It seems that this attitude is quite prevalent even at the work place. People incessantly try and push others “buttons” .. like suppliers not accepting responsibility for defective supplies.
So has anyone ever experienced this kind of button pushing or it just me.?

Button pushing is a universal phenomenon. Some times it is blatant and at other times more subtle. But what matters here is your son seems to be the type who wilts under peer pressure.He has this tendency to keep up with the Joneses. Your loud Nos will hopefully wean him away from such a habit.

Plenty. They think 'what do I lose -a word. If not I stand to gain."Ponnal oru vartai- - - --- .

I tell you it's irritating.I call them PEST! kanaka

Dear AC,


Well when my daughters were in School, they wanted their own kind of school bags, we used to take them and make them select their choice of bag, water bottle, tiffin and pen box.

But my condition was, u have to use it for the whole year, and no changing it in between.They stuck to their share of the bargain.HAHA.


I used to carry a aluminium steel lunch box, and an aluminium school bag, which we used for years and years, and elder brother’s uniforms made short for me, so used uniforms.

But times have changed these days really.HAHA.

Regards.kamal

Dear AC,

Dayz are changing, can't anymore expect kids to be how we had been. Even my hubby's niece is one such. Infact she is even younger. Last year she was put up in a day care in India. She demanded for a bright, colorfull and flowery pattern bag. Then when she came to US after watching all the cartoons, she requested for Dora pictured bag. Now after returning back to India when she was given the same Dora bag she refused to take it. She is now wanting a bag with barbie or snow white pink in color. 'Veetuku veedu vaasapadi'.....

Chitra : A good question and I think we all go thru times where someone or the other tries to push out buttons, when it is kids we accept it and do not get mad but when others do it we feel mad, I find that a lot in work environment.

Dear anandchitra,
That is a thread which brings to me nostalgic memories.
Iwas in 7th standard till then I carried an ordinary school bag it never occurred to me to ask mother for a school bag.When mother bought me a new school bag,I remember the colour of the bag as well its price a princely 22rupees at that time.
Iwas so proud to carry that bag and preened and walking that long distance-from star theater in triplicane to ice house to my school ,never tired me.
My daughters had a wonderful time,my husband a doting father, used to buy them the best and they were not very demanding either.
Day before yesterday my younger daughter talked to me from mumbai.She had this to tell.You know that she has four kids.One daughter Lakshmi's school bag was in tatters.it was bought hardly a few months back and they are in pre kg class.She refused to take that to school and put on DQ act.Immediately other daughter Jayashree came to her mother told her,"Amma let lakshmi take my new bag and I will take my previous old bag and went and gave her bag to lakshmi.This incident narrated to me by my daughter brought tears in my eyes,nothing great but they are my grand children,so may be I feel that way.
Lovely thread.
love
mithila kannan

Originally Posted by Kamalji

Dear AC,


Well when my daughters were in School, they wanted their own kind of school bags, we used to take them and make them select their choice of bag, water bottle, tiffin and pen box.

But my condition was, u have to use it for the whole year, and no changing it in between.They stuck to their share of the bargain.HAHA.


I sued to carry a aluminium steel lunch box, and an aluminium school bag, which we used for years and years, and elder brother’s uniforms made short for me, so used uniforms.

But times have changed these days really.HAHA.

Regards.kamal

Kamal
Times have indeed changed. These days everything is designer types.. I feel my son is better than most and does not demand the designer bags..

Originally Posted by Cindhuja

Dear AC,

Dayz are changing, can't anymore expect kids to be how we had been. Even my hubby's kid is one such. Infact she is even younger. Last year she was put up in a day care in India. She demanded for a bright, colorfull and flowery pattern bag. Then when she came to US after watching all the cartoons, she requested for Dora pictured bag. Now after returning back to India when she was given the same Dora bag she refused to take it. She is now wanting a bag with barbie or snow white pink in color. 'Veetuku veedu vaasapadi'.....

Cindhuja
I have heard girls are into the Dora bags or the Barbie ones. So we too have to change and accomodate the changes too!

Originally Posted by Bhiku Mhatre

Chitra : A good question and I think we all go thru times where someone or the other tries to push out buttons, when it is kids we accept it and do not get mad but when others do it we feel mad, I find that a lot in work environment.

Bhiku
It is quite prevalent in the work I am sure. It also works where manipulative people are involved.