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If you have a teenage daughter, you might have the same challenges I do…
As much as I adore my girl, I am constantly trying to understand her ways, her choices, and all her ridiculous behaviors that come with adolescence.
There are so many things I don’t understand.
For instance, her inability to pick up after herself as she leaves a lovely trail of ALL her stuff wherever she goes. There is a pile of wet towels on her bedroom floor, fermenting right now. There are plates and cups and clothes and papers and books and bags abandoned all over our house.
Then there are all the fashion trends that leave me questioning her common sense, like wearing her Birkenstocks in the snow and ripped jeans that cover only 48% of her legs that cost a small fortune to boot. And about those boots… She never wears them. She’d rather wear her worn converse with a beautiful dress. Go figure.
It’s not just about her wardrobe or her inability to pick up after herself, it’s also about her incessant forgetfulness. Within one minute of me telling her to do something, she conveniently forgets. I’ve learned that parenting a teen is much like parenting a toddler. I repeat myself over and over again, and the maddening cycle of reminding her what to do is exhausting.
There’s a lot we parents have to manage with having a teenage daughter, isn’t there? I haven’t even mentioned the hormones… WHOA. I could bet the bank on when she is getting her period just by the abrupt shift in her um, attitude… My kindhearted, patient girl quickly morphs into a blue-eyed crank-monster. Thank God it doesn’t last long, so I can get my sweet sloppy, forgetful, fashionable teenage daughter back in due time.
But here’s the thing.
This girl? She’s a constant blessing, amidst the mess. When it comes to the big stuff? She’s doing just fine. Her character, her values, her faith, her fortitude constantly remind me that I have been given a gift of a girl to raise.
And THAT is what will get me through these teenage years.
Would you join me in clicking over to my latest post about this very thing on Her View From Home?
If you have a teenage daughter or know someone who does- I think you will relate. Or maybe you can fill in the blanks with your own complaints about your teenage daughter. 🙂
*I always make sure to get her permission to publish anything I write about her, and she laughed, nodded, and said, “That’s pretty good mom.” I call that a WIN if there ever was one. (I admit I was surprised with her reaction!)
Go read my post HERE!
It’s the big stuff that makes the difference Chris.
I feel the same about my 5 year old boy!!
It really is, Marie. I have to keep reminding myself that, every time I pick up a wet towel. LOL
The best advise I got when raising my teen daughters was “you will get through it.” And I did! 🙂
Love that, Lynn! I’ll take that advice too. 🙂
I wish I could tell you that it’s nothing but smooth sailing once they pass through the teenage years. We still encounter bumpy blips, especially now that my 24 year-old daughter is temporarily back at home after living away at college and traveling for 5 years. At least she gives me verbal cues first though. She delights in warning me first with a cautionary “Mom, don’t poke the bear.”
Love that you ask your daughter for permission before you post. I do the same with my two! Pure joy to hear “that’s pretty good, Mom.” Well done, you.
Ha! “Mom, don’t poke the bear.”- Love that, Kelly! And thanks for the heads up for beyond the teen years. I have been warned! lol 🙂 Parenting is a FOREVER job, apparently!
I’m going through the same thing with my thirteen year old.Super sweet and kind and also funny but turns into the Grinch during…”Lady time”. Fun times 🙂
Ah Crystal, you and me girl! It’s quite a challenging stage of parenting, isn’t it? Thank God we have sweeties. That helps. 🙂