The 'ol mom and dad game.

     The mom and dad game takes on a whole new angle with divorced parents.  What is the mom and dad game you ask?  It's when you ask one parent for something when you have already have an answer from one.  An answer you do not like.  You ask the other anyway because that "no" doesn't work for you and you really need a "yes".
     When I was a kid, if I ever played the game, I  would get caught within hours.  Sterling can play this game and get away with it...sometimes forever. 
People have tried this crap on me at work.  Don't like my answer...go to another manager.  It pisses me off when I find out i've had the game played on me.
     Last year his homework was the key participant of the mom and dad game.  Bedtime, school lunch, breakfast at school, skateboards, clothes, brushing his teeth, staying up late...all of these have been different participants of the mom and dad game.
     Three weeks into the school year and I discover an attempt at the mom and dad game.  I'm not entirely sure why it failed.  Lack of practice caused it a bit.  I mean...he hasn't had to worry about any homework excuses this early in the school year.  I believe the true reason to be his not planning on me calling his mother.  That and the fact that Sterling doesn't plan.
     I have been quizzing Sterling about homework.  My quizzing has, until now, been Sunday-Tuesday nights.  I have not quizzed him about homework the last two weeks while he was at his mothers.  I did tonight!  Surprise!
I called Sterling to remind him about the homework he had tonight.  When he did not answer, I called his mother and left a detailed message.  I had called her yesterday to tell her about some vocab he had.  I needed to call again as there was more homework that was due on the E-Calendar.  However, his mother failed to answer as well.  So, I left her a voice message.  (Not answering the phone is a flaw that must be genetically linked with that side of the family...unless you ask my mother.)
     As I was finishing up the message, Sterling called me back.  We went over the homework that was due.  ALL THERE WAS TO DO WAS SIGN A LETTER AND PRACTICE THREE VOCAB WORDS.  KNOW THE DEFINITION AND KNOW HOW TO SPELL THE WORDS.  Five minutes after our phone call, his mother called me back.  When I answered the phone there was muffled arguing on the other end of the phone.  She and I then went over the homework. Once this had been discussed, she told me that just prior to her calling me, she asked Sterling about his homework.  He said he had the vocab and nothing else.  His mother had listened to my message before asking Sterling the question, tho.  When she said "your dad called and said there was more homework", he got all huffypuffy.  He got all huffypuffy and started to argue.  Then...realized that he had no REAL homework and stormed off to his bedroom.  I'm assuming the argument started because he didn't want to do any extra homework.  I'm assuming this is what was done to either me or her in the past.  Except...he realized  he only had to have his mother sign a piece of paper.  I think he was so used to doing this in years past that the attitude and raised voice came naturally.   I think he realized this...gave up and went into his room (pretending to be mad).
     His mother and I then agreed that I would call her on a weekly basis to review the homework that huffypuffy has.      

    The moral of the story...Have a plan...know your homework.