I am raising a teenager...
And that makes life really, really difficult.
If she's not an emotional and hormonal wreck, she's forgetful, clumsy, and/or troubled by some drama at school...
I'm ready to yank all of my hair out and call myself GI Jane.
I certainly don't want to be walking around hairless, cause I mean, how else am I to keep my shoulders warm???
But, my soon-to-be teenage daughter is driving me nuts!!!
I had a visit from Olivia's grandmother last week, and it was a nice visit. Coffee and small talk and all.... Olivia's cousins were in tow, and Olivia had a great time with them in her room while the adults sat in the living room with their caffeine.
Apparently, Olivia had such a good time with her cousins that she wanted to spend a lot more time with them, so she asked her grandmother if she could spend some extra time with them over the weekend...
Of course, her ever loving grandmother had said yes and Olivia was so excited...
That is...
sigh...
Until she remembered that she already had weekend plans....
Double Sigh....
That is just one example of the many I can talk about - to prove my point about teenagers.
Their heads are just not attached correctly! Or maybe they get abducted by aliens - the good, sweet, and kind kid that once was - is replaced with an alien teenager. One who tries to drive the parental unit slowly and madly into psychotic and bizarre humans.
It's the Martian's ways of testing us. It has to be that!
The aliens are up there - somewhere - enjoying the sweet kid that used to do things without arguing, without complaint, and without question - and we as parents are down here trying not to commit homicide against our devilish spawn.
How often can I show her, explain to her, talk to her, and yell at her - about her room till it finally sinks in?!?!?!?!?
And let's not forget about the "girl" drama that comes with raising a teenager. You can be raising a boy and still get all of that "girl" drama.
this is the response I get nowadays after asking about her school day.
"Well, so and so stopped sitting with me at lunch because she said he said that they said that I was talking about them."
OR
"The guidance counselor had me in her office to talk about what she said that he did and about what I did to defend what she said..."
I don't think Olivia goes to any classes when she's at school.
How else can a whole day of learning go on and that's all she has to say???????
But, John and I are indeed raising a teenage girl, and it's turning into a teenage nightmare.
I was brushing the back of Olivia's hair the other day - because apparently the back of the head has no hair to be brushed.... Anyway, I was brushing her hair (even though she swore up and down that she had indeed got that part) and I could've sworn I felt two little horns sprouting out of her head....
Yup... my daughter is turning into a little demon child...
I am trying to be an understanding mom. I too was once a teenage girl. So, I know exactly how Olivia is feeling.
I too had the drama of complicated middle school relationships.
I too had all of the emotion and hormone induced headaches that come from trying to please everyone.
I too had the lunch room disagreements.
But, maybe I am just too old fashioned to be raising a girl in today's social media covered productions of so called "real life".
She still isn't allowed to have a Facebook account. We keep saying no, but she insists on asking everyday anyway.
We sat down with her and told her all about the troubles that come from just having a Facebook account, let alone have one when you're young and impressionable.
I told her about defriending family members and other people because most people on Facebook are just silly... and that if she had one, that she too would be part of that silly and melodramatic world.
Yes, I know that I too am part of that silly world. But, I have the wherewithal to weed out the crazies and just deal with those who aren't out to drive me insane...
Besides, I am much older than she, and can definitely handle it better than (we feel) she could.
The last thing Olivia needs is to be friends with - oops... I'm sorry - Facebook Friends - with the people that I just cut out of our lives....
If that were to happen, all of this drama that I'm explaining here - all of that would quadruple in size and magnitude.
I fear for the safety of my daughter. And rightly so. No longer can a teenager go to a mall innocently and come back the same person. What with all of the cell phone cameras, the tweeting that goes on, and all of the crap they like to call outfits being sold in today's stores- that barely pass for clothing to begin with.
I have to keep hold of my struggling daughter - as much as she would like to fight it - I have to keep ahold of her... not let her go. Because I know that once I do, she'll be exposed to all of the heartache and pain that I am trying to protect her from...
And I know I shouldn't suffocate her, that would just bite me in the rear later on, but I feel as if I have no other choice.
Yes, she's turning into a teenager, and yes she has a foul attitude half the time, but she's still - overall - a good kid. She still has compassion underneath all of the screaming and temper tantrums. She still has love and kindness underneath all of that back talk. She still has a general need to follow the rules underneath all of that mess of a bedroom.
So, while I still can, I'm going to cling tighter and hold onto her just a little bit longer.
Because I can, and because I love her.
That's it for now, and thanks for reading my few but dear readers...
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