Answer the question, please...

My fourth (and mercifully, last) teenager is upon me. I keep hoping, "This one will be different." This one won't mouth off...won't sneak around, won't discover boys...in short, I was hoping that this one wouldn't be plagued with the other teenage realities that we experienced with the previous three (let me say that for Bradley, he discovered girls, not boys). I have, however, been disappointed. This last one is just like the others. Notably, she has learned to never answer a direct question I ask.

My conversations with the kids go something like this.

Me: What are you doing?
Kid: I *just* got here.
Me: I didn't ask the time frame of your arrival. I asked what you are doing.

See what I mean?

Me: Who ate the tortillas? (a serious crime in our house...usually because I got tortillas as an ingredient for something else).
Kid: So-and so opened them.
Me: I didn't ask who opened them, I asked who ate them.
Kid: You let me eat them last time.
Me: So, who at the tortillas?

And that is how it goes.

Me: Did you clean your room?
Kid: I put my clothes away.
Me: Yes, but did you clean your room.
Kid: [Slight pause] Uh-huh.
Me: Is it "Wendy Clean?"
Kid: Slinks upstairs to clean said room.

I swear....I could ask something like this.

Me: Where is your coat?
Kid: I have gloves and a hat on.
Me: Where is your coat?
Kid: I am wearing warm socks.
Me: WHERE IS THE DAMN COAT?

At this point in time I usually found that the coat is 1) "Lost," 2) in the possession of a friend (mortal sin at our house), 3) in a locker and of course it is the weekend or school break.

How ever did they learn this evasive tactic?

I think they have always used it. I just think that I used to fall for it. It was a "distract with a diversionary tactic" ploy that I used to buy hook, line and sinker. Bradley was much better at the diversions than the younger ones. I'm getting older and smarter, and the last kid will suffer because of it. I'm constantly telling her, "I've had three other teenagers; I know how this game ends." She has to sigh and come up with new tactics. I don't have gray hair yet, but check back in 5 more years.