I read several blogs from stay at home moms and more recently a stay at home dad. All of these blogs are parents of elementary age (or younger) children. Where are the blogs about parenting teens and more importantly single parents of teens. I have to say parenting my children when they were younger was so much easier than parenting teenagers. When they were younger they loved me, valued my thoughts, worked hard to please me, and every little thing was noticed. Holidays were easy because any gift was wonderful! Days were much easier planned with an outing to the park or playing with play-doh. The television was filled with Dora the Explorer, The Magic School Bus, Bob the Builder, Care Bears, Disney, Rugrats, etc. The girls were so easy to please!
Now, I there is teenage girl drama! He said....She said....Boys more than friends and play dates. They want to spend the night with this friend or that friend, they want to go to the skating rink. They want a friend with them ALL the time. The house is actually messier (even though they do their chores). Holidays are filled with wish lists that are not a mile long but are considerably expensive. They now desire cell phones, Ipads, TV's in the bedroom, laptops, Ipods, Ipod touch. Clothes now have to come from certain stores and be of certain brands. They are all the time on the phone, internet, facebook, with ear buds in their ears or the computer blaring music and sometimes at the same time. Forget the pitter patter of small feet running through the house. Now it sounds like herds of elephants running up and down the stairs and loud giggling until I walk in the room, then its a hush of silence. And of course they are doing "nothing." They now want to walk through the neighborhood and hang out at the "circle." Bathing suits are now asked for that include string and a piece of cloth. Make-up is essential and hair styles change from one week to the next, along with a different color to go with it. They now know everything and I know absolutely nothing. "I have NO idea what it is like to be a TEENAGER" I am embarrasing to them and way too strict because "Jane's" mom from down the street lets "her do it." The restless nights continue as I constantly worry about who they are with, what they are doing, and have I rasied them to respect themselves and myself well enough that they will make the "right" decision when faced with PEER pressure. Their friends are more important than anything else and they'll just die without talking to them if more than 5 minutes pass by. Time outs are less than effective. Now it is just plain out grounding that comes with huffs, puffs, and eye rolls.
I have come to the conclusion raising kids are a breeze! It is raising teenagers that will test my sanity, patience, and clean police record.
