Okay

I'd like to do away this word. At my house it is an automatic response and most of the time it doesn't mean "okay" at all.

Gavin's always been an 'okay' guy. He says it to just about any question, statement or directive. It's also something that Benett has begun to pick up... It's time to replace the word with a response that actually means something.

It's funny how one little word can be translated in so many different ways. Some of favorites are:

• ok = "I'm not really listening to you." (Especially if there is no eye contact.)
• OK = "I'm only half listening to you."
• Okaay = "I hear you, but I don't really want to do what you're asking me to do... so I'll trudge along and slowly do what's being requested in a very lackluster way."
• Ookay = "You've asked me several times to do something and I've already said 'ok' once... and now I have to take action... and I don't like it."
• Ooookaaaay = "I'm doing it!"
• kay = "I'm embarrassed & please don't hug me in front of my friends."
• O-Kay = "I'm mad." (This is usually accompanied by the hairy eyeball.)
• M-Kay = "I'll remember and do it later." (Which never happens. Ever.)

Mom! = This really means "Okay." It means I've been heard... I've made myself unignorable... probably by turning off the TV/video game or taking away the toy. It means everything stops. Words are considered and the real conversation begins. It's not a good replacement for that nasty 4-letter word... but it's a start.