For Godsakes Use Your Freaking Earbuds Already

After years of saying the same thing every morning, you'd think my son would get it by now. I know, he's a teenager. He apparently is more typical than I realized as he has no common sense early in the day.

His morning routine consists of chomping on his breakfast while watching his favorite YouTubers on his laptop. Honestly, I don't understand the appeal of watching videos of people either playing video games or ranting on about who knows what. Maybe it's just me, but these professional vloggers have the most annoying voices on the planet. Again, the appeal is lost on me.

My consistent plea is for him to simply use his headphones. That's it. The easiest solution to an enjoyable morning for both of us. Despite this being what I see as a no-brainer, my child insists on letting the nerve-grating commentary filter through the house at far too loud a volume. Earbuds or headset — it matters little to me, just plug the damn things in and continue to be entertained by things I will never appreciate, so I can have my coffee in peace.

We all have our way of welcoming the new day and it's best if we carry it out without dominating someone else's space. For me, I like a quiet start. I have a routine that works for me and doesn't impede anyone else in my home. Every morning I make the bed, change into whatever I'm going to workout in, then head downstairs. I wash my face, put my eyes (contacts) in, brush my teeth, and yes, pee. Then it's off to the kitchen to fill my water bottle and get the coffee going. I sit with my laptop and peruse the web, often at least starting a blog post. All of this is done making virtually no noise.

I have never been a bubbly morning person. The older I get the easier it is to drag myself from the comfort and warmth of my bed, but I still need a quiet introduction to the day. Right now, my son is sitting beside me with his laptop on his lap, empty cereal bowl to his right and both thumbs tapping away on his phone. I don't particularly like that he is so technologically dependent, but am I not doing the same? Neither one of us is up for riveting conversation when we first awake, and routine (providing it isn't adversely affecting those around us) is a good thing.

When I skip any of the things that comprise my early hours, it will occasionally throw the rest of my day off a bit. Were either of us, no, both of us capable of carrying on engaging dialogue first thing in the morning, my preference would be to set aside distractions and talk. Since we all need ample time to rouse ourselves into a space that is adequate for socializing and interacting with other humans, I'll settle for the kid just using his damned earbuds without me nagging him to do so.