A friend posted this little pearl of wisdom on facebook today (thanks Corinne), the timing could not have been more perfect.
My beautiful, smart and funny daughter Zoe just celebrated her 11th birthday this past weekend and after a very fun and loud party (with boys invited), a late night girly (no boys) sleepover, too much junk food and sugar...came the crash! In the aftermath of the following day there quickly ensued a rush of emotion and questions regarding this very topic.
I wish I had this little piece of advice in my back pocket when it happened.
Now, when these questions come flying at me again.....and we all know they will, she is only 11 after all...I will be prepared.
Actually I probably won't, nothing can prepare you for the sight of your daughter with a broken heart, no self help parenting book can give you all the answers, just tools to help ease the worry of being a parent to a teenager in these crazy times.
Not that being a teenager was easy in my time either but boy, is it me or are our kids putting way to much pressure on themselves to grow up way too fast?
Actually I probably won't, nothing can prepare you for the sight of your daughter with a broken heart, no self help parenting book can give you all the answers, just tools to help ease the worry of being a parent to a teenager in these crazy times.
Not that being a teenager was easy in my time either but boy, is it me or are our kids putting way to much pressure on themselves to grow up way too fast?
We all feel the need to stay home with our children when they are infants and toddlers to teach and nourish them, watching them grow into little people before sending them off to kindergarten.
It has struck me recently how much more I feel the need to be here for my 11 year old, after school, right before bed, driving to karate. These are the moments when the conversation flows and the guards are down. I wish I could be there for her every moment of everyday, but we all know how absurd that would be....stalker mom!!!!!
Watching my daughter go through the trials and tribulation of adolescence has shot me back in time like a rocket to my youth. Stirring up emotions and memories long buried, both good and bad. Now more than ever I see the importance for me to harness those emotions and use them as tools to try to steer my daughter in the right direction, to show her the value of self and to never, ever, ever undervalue the importance of being a good apple!
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