One of these is not like the other

It has always boggled my mind how two children raised in the same house with the same rules, parents and opportunities can be so exceptionally different.

I have two girlfriends who have younger brothers who prove this without a shadow of a doubt. Both of my friends are hard working, law abiding, religious, family oriented females… Both of their brothers are often in trouble with the law, women, their own mothers, irresponsible and consistently make bad decisions – whether it be smoking potpourri or leaving the scene of an accident they caused. It doesn’t have to be that extreme there are brothers who work with me that one is highly intelligent and fluent in Spanish and English, while his brother is not fluent in English at all and requires constant supervision.

With all of this being said and if you are wondering I do have a point- how does this transfer to my boys? The oldest is now 15 and it has been a wild ride up to this point. He is sarcastic, more attitude that you can think one person can have, definitely a member of the ‘entitled generation’ and is solely out for number 1. He has no interest in school, groups, and sports, anything that remotely involves anything we suggest and yet turns around and says we do not offer anything to him that he wants to do. Now keep in mind the child has adamantly stated he doesn’t want to go to Orlando in July, for vacation- why because he doesn’t want to fly. That is the only reason. Now I have done the drive to San Antonio with both of them and it was a whipping so there will be no driving to Orlando.

The youngest is full of energy, caring, wants to be as involved in school as possible has about five different career paths laid out. This is not to say that the oldest doesn’t care about things he does just in his own way. Meaning I have to figure out how to bend it towards him. Sometimes I succeed mostly I don’t.

Right now we are learning the consequences at home they have always been there but for some reason they seem to be grasping the concept that I am not playing around. The house is cleaner as they are picking up after themselves, chores are being done more and when they are supposed to be done. Rooms are more picked up than normal. Something that I have said or done somewhere has finally sunk in. Oh wait go back and cross that last line out because I am afraid I just jinxed myself.