I have [another] teenager in my house! My youngest daughter turned 13 on New Year’s Eve. While some of my friend’s are struggling during this time, I am excited. You know I love to look to all the positive in every situation, this being yet another. My daughter, like all teenage girls, has her good days and her bad days. There are those days where she knows everything and has the strongest attitude around. Yes, those are not my favorite, but she is coming to her own.
This past weekend we had my daughter’s birthday party. I had 13 teenage boys and girls in my house celebrating my daughter. The kids were such a blast! While the kids were dancing, laughing, and having a blast with one another; I was sitting back and enjoying it while my heart melted. All those kids were there to celebrate my daughter. Kids from church, kids from school and some from other walks of life. There were kids here who have been my daughter’s friend before they could even remember to ones she just meet this year in school. But it didn’t matter how long they have known my daughter, they all surrounded her with love and celebrated her.
Teens who find their tribe
As a parent, our greatest wish is for happy kids. While I sat there watching this amazing group of teens, I knew my daughter was happy! I knew that even on her worst day she always had someone to support her and love her. I have brought up all my kids to love themselves as who they are; they don’t need to change to make friends or to keep them. It’s always fun to watch our kids when they are around their friends, some of us worry they become someone they aren’t. I was so joyed to see my daughter as herself around her friends!
“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” – Jim Morrison
As a mother, we get frustrated often with our teenagers. They seem to know it all, their hormones change their moods at the drop of a dime. Sometimes the best thing we can do is walk away before we say something we really shouldn’t. But we as women have the same problems don’t we? I know I’m not always my pleasant loving self everyday! I know there are days no one wants to me around me, and let’s be honest I don’t want to be around anyone. There’s days we get frustrated with so many, even our best of friends. These young teenagers are really young woman. They have so many things happening to them and they can’t understand it themselves. On those days, sometimes the best thing we can do as a parent is understand that and let them be themselves. We need to understand them, and we should because we’ve been and still deal with it ourselves.
Support them and their friends
Over the past year I have watched my daughter grow, both physically and emotionally. I watched her become a beautiful young woman, both headstrong and caring. I’m so glad she has found her tribe! She has found an amazing group of friends, each one bringing something different to her life; each one supporting her in their own way. During this difficult time in her life she has a support system; something we even as adults long for. While this time is stressful for you as a parent, remember that it’s just as stressful for your daughter too. Be supportive of her and happy she has a group of friends during this time in her life. Enjoy each day, good and bad, and watch your child grow into the young person God has planned for them to be!
