Texting troubles

Dear JimmyDo,

I have a teen that is texting all the time. In fact she interrupts our conversations to send a text back and I feel ignored. I don't know how to create and send a text. Is there any way to verbally communicate with my daughter or have our vocal relational days come to an end?

COL (Crying out loud)

Dear COL,

You have raised a dilemma for all parents. Texting mania has taken hold of your teenagers and there seems no end in sight! JimmyDo says "If you can't beat them, join them!"

Your texting skills are lacking but acronyms are not only for cell phones. I recommend that you get what we will call a "texting" pad. This is a pad of paper, yellow, legal, stenograph pad; it doesn't matter. Get a nice black marker, one that will show up from across the room. That should do it.

Get ready to text back! When your child isn't listening, because her thumbs are blistering the cell phone key pad, simply write your own text message. It is easy and JimmyDo will show you how!

Here are some acronyms that your child is most likely texting: LOL=Laugh out loud. OMG=Oh my god! THX=Thanks. There are many more. You may want to do some research, but better yet, make up your own text messages.

Here are some ideas for you to get started. TOTTP=Take out the trash, please. BPITW= best parent in the world. SSBYG=so sorry but your grounded. HUNOICYCPS=Hang up now or I cancel your cell phone service!

There is no end to the acronyms you can make up. Your daughter will laugh WITH you as you both relate at a more cellular level. She may start laughing AT you, until you make up acronyms about what she is going to lose if she doesn't comply. Then she will be desperate to understand.