Thinking about Family-

Today many things I've read online are about families and I wrote posts for MW about my family. They won't be posted for a while, but I'll give you a sneak peek at one after I give you a few links. 

A hopeful Mom that I identify with. 

Who also happens to have a cute post on her blog today.

What do your kids think about getting married (when they're older)?

The talk referenced in the above link is here. 

------------------------------------

Teenagers get a bad rap. I love my teenager and not only because I’m her Mom and I have to. 

When I was pregnant with my daughter I told everyone that I hoped I was having a boy. Looking into the future I didn’t think I could handle being the mother of a teenage daughter – all those hormones, boys, and friend issues – a minefield for a parent. I knew how I was as a teenager, and I did not want to deal with that!

Now that I’m in the middle of it, it is not the horror I feared. It’s probably because my daughter isn’t just ‘some teenager’, she’s my daughter. The baby who somehow survived my first feeble attempts at buckling her into a carseat. The little girl who rode her first bike with slippers on because it was softer to pedal that way. The girl who moved across the country right before 6th grade and never got mad at her parents for it, despite the difficulty. And now she is the teenager who gets up at 5 am every school day to attend seminary (religious education). 

Yes, teenagers do have hormones, we all do. She probably understands me best on my bad days because she’s had a few inexplicable bad moments herself.  Boys really aren’t much of an issue just yet, for now she thinks most of them act like her 7 year old brother. When that day does come I will be nervous, but I’ll also be happy for her, remembering the excitement of my first date. I can’t think of a person better equipped to help her deal with friend issues than someone who has had (and continues to have) friend issues herself. 

My daughter and I were out in public once when an older person went out of their way to walk far around her. She looked at me quizzically.

 “Some people are afraid of teenagers.”

“Oh, yeah, we’re so scary.” 

I should have told her I used to be scared too. 

Comments

[readerMom]

1.

I am actually looking forward to my kids growing up some. Maybe because I look forward to not being so preoccupied with their bodily functions, but I love watching them grow and become their own persons, with ideas, opinions and conversation.

[Emily]

2.

Dude. That blog found me sooooo many amazing women - thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Tracy Purdy]

3.

I'm scared FOR my teenagers, not of my teenagers. Every day I question if I'm making a difference or if I'm doing things right. My poor teenagers. They need a mom who knows what she's doing.

[Carol]

4.

Great post! My mother used to say "children tug at your apron strings when they're little and at your heartstrings when they're older." After raising four teens, I understand what she meant!