Sucking Up In A Not So Empty Nest

Everyone knows or has been, at one point in time, a suck-up. They're the ones who get all the attention or become the teacher's pet because they do things they know will focus the attention on themselves.

I have always questioned the motivation of suck-ups. I have always believed that they suck up only to certain people. People who have something the suck up wants or can do something for the suck up or just because they are attention hogs. Whatever the reason for sucking up, I believe they do it for acknowledgement and/or self-gratification of some sort.

Otherwise, it's just a nice person doing something for another person. And there just aren't too many of those types around. It seems to me that, these days, most of the acts of kindness revolve around a wanting of something in return. 

But there is one thing I've never realized about suck-ups in all my years of parenting- 30 years worth- You can use sucking up to your advantage. Who knew?????

Since I am now up to two birds back in the nest, I find that there is a bit of sucking up going on. And I find that I quite like it. 

I have a whole new outlook on suck-ups. I no longer question their motivation. I just sit back and appreciate the fact that they are sucking up to ME! 

Too bad, so sad that it was so very, very short lived. Like one day. One. Day.

Ok, maybe it lasted more like a couple of weeks. But, still. The sucking up time was nice while it lasted.

Now, we're in a whole new, uncharted (for me anyway), part of having the nest no longer empty. The part where the kids act like they did when they were growing up complete with the expectations that 'Mom will do everything so we don't have to do a damn thing.'

Yeah, that is NOT working for this mom of four-two-of-whom-have-come-back.

And so begins the series where I discover and share the ups and downs of boomerang kids.

To paraphrase Betty Davis' line: Buckle up, y'all. It's going to be a bumpy ride.