Parenting Woes

  Man this parenting thing is hard! Harder than anything else I've ever done. And so very easy to get wrong. No matter how hard we try we always get something wrong.

  Alex is a teenager and with that comes it's share of angst, screaming, tears and slamming doors. I know that. We all know that. But we aren't ready for it. How can you possibly be ready for it?? That cute little face that used to look at you with all the love in the world now believes you have no clue what pain and suffering they go through. And you don't.

  As adults we can't possibly know how hard it is for kids today. We can remember how difficult it was for us but it's different now. It's their experience not ours. In many ways it is worse! Far worse. Social media has changed the very definition of bullying and public shame.

  My child, yours, every child will go through something. They want us to fix "it", whatever "it" is at the moment. Especially when they say we can't. But the hard truth is we can't fix everything. No matter how much we may want to. And we need to accept that. Right now. That's a hard life lesson for an adult.

  I will admit I'm having growing pains. Each and every day is a challenge I'm not fully prepared for. Neither is John. Joined together as a united front we still aren't prepared. 

  Truthfully none of us are. Like Dory says..."just keep swimming swimming"

  Ang