When you are a parent of young children, you probably repeat the same questions over and over. “Did you brush your teeth?” or “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”  When the kids become teenagers, you still repeat yourself, but the questions are a little different.  The answers, at this age, often come with some heavy sighs and a few eye rolls.

“Will you be home for dinner?”  I usually follow that up with, “Will you be alone or are 20 of your closest friends joining you?” 

“Is there gas in the car?” I don’t care that the dashboard says you have 50 miles until empty and it didn’t ding yet.

“Where are you going now?” They always seem to have keys in their hand. I am seriously considering getting a revolving door. 

“Are you sleeping?”  This is typically a morning question when I don’t see a light under their door.  However, if I find them napping in the middle of the day, I might use a different tone of voice.

“Did you get my text?”  I know you did because the read receipt is on.  What I really want to know is why didn’t you answer my text.

“Where is MY phone charger?”  Just because I leave my charger in the same place all the time does not mean it is free for you to use or move to a more convenient spot.

“Who used the last (fill in the blank) and didn’t put it on the shopping list?”  It is so frustrating to reach for a box of cereal in the pantry only to find it is empty.  The same goes for the milk.  Just put it on the list!

“Where are all the cups/bowls/spoons?”  I had to eat breakfast out of Tupperware this morning and use a fork to stir my coffee.

“Does anyone know how to change the toilet paper roll?”  I taught them this, I swear. 

“Am I made of money?”  Every day someone needs money for something. Don’t you people have jobs?  Use your own money once in a while.

“Are you really wearing that?”  My kids all have their own idea of appropriate attire for occasions. It rarely matches mine.

“Where is your coat?”  Apparently, I am the only one aware of temperature change.

“What is that smell?”  This is usually answered with “I don’t smell anything.”  Maybe it’s coming from the three-day-old cup of melted shake in the back seat. 

“Why is it so dark in here?”  My kids are part vampire.  The blinds are always drawn in their bedrooms and they cannot watch TV unless all the lights are off. 

“Do I know him/her?”  When the kids were in elementary school, I knew everyone they knew as well as their parents.  In high school, my kids seem to have a new friend every day.

“Do you have homework?”  The answer varies conveniently around what is going on at the moment.  “Yes,” is the answer if I need dishes done but it’s a definite “no” if friends invite them out on a school night.

“Who is driving?”  When they didn’t have their license, I knew I would get the crappy shift of the carpool.  Now that they are driving, I need to know if I should shine up my St. Christopher.

“Whose towels are on the bathroom floor?”  I am going to start assigning colors.  It’s the only way I will know who the real culprit is.

Pam Molnar is a writer and the mother of three. She is fluent in sarcasm, can decipher mumbled words and can halt procrastination with a single eyebrow raise.