“Grandma can I pet sit my friends dog for the summer. They are going to Ireland. ”
“I don’t know. Does the dog have its shots, no fleas, is it potty trained? Will it get along with our dogs and cat? I can’t have any problems for a couple of months with a dog.”
I think it’s all fine, can they bring their dog scooter over and see? They are going to pay me a hundred dollars.”
Ok, but tell them I am leaning toward the answer no.”
Smiling Sally skipped off to get her phone and call her friend Megan. This fiasco is probably going to cost me more than a hundred dollars. “
Sally returned smiling and singing. “They are on their waaaayy. They are on their waaaaayyy. Yippee I aaaaayyyy.”
What? Now? Well call them back and tell them it’s not a good time.” I shouted as if Sally were across the house instead of right there in front of me.
“They have to come now. They leave in the morning.”
“They leave in the morning, what will they do if I say no?”
” I don’t know.” Sally scowled back at me. “I bet your gonna say yes.”
“Well, don’t count on it.” I said.
Twenty minutes later Megan, her Dad and her dog scooter stood at my door. They bounded over me into the house when I opened the door. Scooter sniffed around for a minute and then lifted his leg and pee sprayed on my coffee table. Then my dog Max followed suit. I am sure he thought this was his territory and nobody could to put their mark on it. I yelled and Sally led them out to the backyard.
I said,” I am sorry but I can’t have him pee in my house.
Megan replied,” Oh, he just needs to get used to it here. He will be fine.
He seemed to get along with the other animals and he was cute. He was clean and they swore his shots were current. Megan agreed to return tonight if things did not work out in a couple of hours. They left.
Scooter came back in the house and pooped on the carpet. I looked at Sally and said,” Call Megan and tell her I said no.”
Sally said” Megan said it would be fine, he will do better and look they have puppy pads for accidents we can put down by the door.”
I turned and gave me full attention to Sally, “Did you say they brought puppy pads? He is not potty trained or they would not bring puppy pads. Call them now and tell them I said no. They need to turn around and come back to get him.”
Sally punched in the number on her cell phone,” Megan my grandma says no. Scooter pooped on the carpet and she is done. She wants you to come get him– you have to come– grandma Megan says she doesn’t have anywhere else to leave scooter.”
“I said no, tell her I will take scooter to a kennel and charge them.”
“Megan, Grandma says she will take him to a kennel and charge you.– Grandma she says that’s fine if you can find somewhere that will take that hundred dollars she gave me.”
Sally tell her to come get the dog. A kennel will cost more than a hundred dollars. You would have to work all summer to pay the rest. I will not pay anything out of my pocket. It is not my dog”
“Megan, Grandma says it would cost more than a hundred dollars and I would have to work to make that money. – What do you mean that sounds good. I don’t want to work to pay for your dog for the summer. It doesn’t sound good to me. You need to come get him. — Grandma she said no, she can’t come get him.”
“Sally you tell them I am getting mad because they are not accepting no for an answer. My student’s at school accept no better than Megan and her family do. I guess I will just take Scooter to the pound.” Ok maybe the SPCA but I won’t tell them that.
Sally repeated me and after a few minutes of silence on Sally’s end of the phone she said,”okay” and hung up.” They are on their way.”
“Well”, I said, ” it’s about time. I shouldnt have to be mean and threaten to give their dog away to have my answer respected. That just went too far.” I wont trust them to listen to me ever again. I will just say no up front.
Accepting no is a basic skill I teach children daily in classrooms across our school district. It’s a wonder that this is difficult at times when parents of the children don’t have the skill established at home. I don’t say no very often. In fact my friends accuse me of letting my kids and grandkids walk all over me, but I got plenty of practice saying no today.
