Battlefield

    I remember when we had quiet dinners. When we where able to talk about what happened at school and at work.  Yes, those were the good old days. That was before our house was invaded by pets. I have to admit that I am not an animal lover, but I allowed myself to get manipulated into getting not one, but two pets. My daughters must have gotten me in a vulnerable moment. They came with the idea that pets are therapeutic and that they teach children responsibilty. They probably have been reading my books. The pets are a dog and a cat. I have to disclose that I have a terrible phobia to cats. So this poor creature hates when I am in the house because she has to be behind a closed door. Her name is Alice and she is all white, just like a ghost. The fact that she seem to glow in the dark doesn't help with my fears. Our dog, let me correct that, my daughter's dog is Snoopy. He was so nice before he came to our house. Now he looks like he is possessed by some type of evil. He chews on my shoes, my school bag, he pees on my floor, he spills my trash and wants to take ownership of my couch. To show him that he is not welcome I had a gate installed to block his entrance into my room.
    Going back to the dinner table. I strongly believe that my two daughters have adopted the personality of the cat and the dog and they behave likewise at the dinner table. Their arguments have become the nightly entertainment. Some days it feels like a battlefield. I have to say that I haven't seen the therapeutic effect nor the increase in the sense of responsibility that pets could teach children. I do have to say I have seen a ten fold improvement in their ability to debate. They have become masters of the spoken word. They now have vocabulary I have never heard, and that I probably should not look for the meaning. They have been practicing new ways of showing affection to each other. I agree with them that pets have a great impact in children, we just disagree in the kind of impact. Not a waste after all.