Parenting Teens

Creds to Mitchy Richard

Shoot me.  Some days.  Not all days but some days for sure.  I wonder if anywhere on our planet anybody has figured out the formula of ‘how to best raise a teen’.  I’m open.  Like… wide open.  Because myself, I feel like a failure most days.  Oh heck people think our life is perfect.  Facebook is amazing for that.  Thank you Zuckerburg for that. 

At least now we have the ability to showcase our fake perfect life for everyone else to envy.  Except before that post we had a colossal family melt down where I was threatening my kid to pack his bags and find another way to make it because I don’t know how to parent him.  I mean, are my kids so hard done by with less rules to follow than fingers?  I have been made to feel like the wicked witch of the west.  In my own head I am from the west but I rock.  My harsh reality bites.  Daily I am reminded of how little I know. 

Do teenagers actually know everything?  I think it’s possible.  I mean, picking up after yourself, doing a few chores around the house, personal hygiene, and respect.  I must be ruining their entire existence.  And certainly any opinion I may have would absolutely constitute a massive eye roll.  Of course it would. 

Oh how times have changed. I would not have dared to roll my eyes when I was a teen for fear of repercussions. Our generation gets to be that middle generation where we were wrong as kids and now again we are wrong as parents. We served and still serve our parents. And we simultaneously serve our children. We would like to make everyone else’ life better. Yes we would. As we dumb it down and quietly attempt to create some of that cheer in our own lives.

Ahhhh but would we trade it for anything?  No.  we would not. Because then there are the sweet moments where the teen mutters kindness. ‘I love you mom’ or ‘great dinner mom thanks’. Or sometimes declining a fantastic invite because they feel like being at home. And the random hugs. We take the good with the bad. At the end of the day we would not trade any worldly possession we may own for a minute (ok maybe a minute) of time with our kid. 

After all, karma is alive and well.  And one day it will be my pleasure to sit back and watch how they will handle the eye rolls and the attitude.  I will sit with my glass of wine in a perma cheers position. 

Love ya kiddo.   Cheers!