You guys. Raising teenagers is hard. I'll admit that. I feel it
should come with 24 hour therapy, massage therapy, mandatory vacations,
weekly maid service, sleep! and, for those that can hack it, lots and
lots of wine. But, as I chauffeur my offspring and friends around, and I
listen to the conversations and stories from my lonely front seat
position, I have learned something. Teenagehood is difficult already
(more so for them than us), but it is made infinitely more difficult
for all involved when the parental units cannot get their shit
together. When parents do stupid, hurtful things (to themselves or that
directly affect the teenager) and then expect perfectly mature
behaviour from that teen in response - they need to be junk punched.
Hard. Teenagers FEEL everything. Just like young children. And they
act out and react to what is happening in their lives. Just like young
children. They just do it in more obvious, damaging and possibly
dangerous ways. See it for what it is - a reaction to their
environment. Couple that with the cascade of hormones flooding their
bodies, peer pressure (that they may not be telling you about), teachers
being buttheads, lack of sleep, their ability to find and destroy junk
food, their rapidly growing bodies... and you've got the perfect
scenario for immature overreactions.
This should be expected and acknowledged. Not judged and punished.
For being developing humans.
After hearing a particularly painful story from the back seat recently,
I came away with one overwhelming thought: I will do my absolute
damnedest to not be the reason or cause of unnecessary upset to my
teenagers. There is enough shit happening in their world outside of
home. The least I can provide them with is a safe place. It is my
obligation as a parent.
It's yours, too.
