Motherhood is a trip . . . are we there yet?
Original publish date: January 13, 2011 Here’s an update I didn’t think I’d be making any time soon. My “troubled teen,” whom I thought had made it in the big world is BACK HOME. I definitely have many mixed feelings about it. I was beginning to get used to the peace and cleanliness in my…
Original publish date: January 11, 2011 My independent daughter is trying really hard to take care of herself and handle all the responsibilities of living on her own, paying her bills, tending to her three cats…but she’s asked me many times for “a few bucks.” I had to pay her rent this month because her…
Original publish date: January 3, 2011 The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another. ~Quentin Crisp Little children, headache; big children, heartache. ~Italian Proverb Heredity is what sets the parents of a teenager wondering…
Orignial publish date: January 3, 2011 One thing that has strengthened the relationship between my formerly troubled daughter and me is a regular Sunday brunch together. No matter what, we clear time on our calendars to spend time together. It doesn’t matter if we’re super tired or have a cold, PMS, or anything else, we…
Orignial publish date: December 29, 2010 Now that my girls are out of the house, I worry just as much as ever, but now I have new things to freak out about because I’m not with them every day. I’ve always worried about their personal safety, but now it’s pathological. Whom do they associate with?…
Orignial publish date: December 29, 2010 A few words about “empty nest syndrome.” Both my girls have now moved out and it’s definitely bittersweet. According to the myriad of articles on the Internet like these http://www.life123.com/relationships/marriage/empty-nest/index.shtml, this is the time of my life when I’m supposed to get in touch with my special interests, hobbies, and…
Orignial publish date: December 26, 2010 I did have one incident in the past month with my younger daughter since the shoplifting thing, but thankfully, it really wasn’t her doing. Her friend was driving on the freeway at a high speed and was stopped and investigated. My daughter and two teenage boys were in the…
Orignial publish date: November 23, 2010 This is from an email my brother forwarded to me in 2006. I don’t know who the author is, but it’s been quoted a million times, and I like it. Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment…
Orignial publish date: November 23, 2010 Trust me, there were plenty of times I considered “getting rid” of my daughter and the strife she was causing by sending her away to some faraway boot camp for troubled teens. In my fantasies and from cursory glances at Internet sites, these places seemed like the answer. Even…
Orignial publish date: November 23, 2010 Here’s a little known fact in my world: I let my 16-year-old leave school after her sophomore year and take the GED exam. She had always had issues at school getting along with her peers and enjoying being a teenager. It just wasn’t happening. She felt a different kind…