Hey there, awesome Moxie-Dude readers!
This is another one of those “it’s-two-in-the-morning-and-I-can’t-sleep-so-I-may-as-well-write” posts. At first I thought a very noisy train had passed and woke me up but then I remembered that I don’t live near train tracks. That’s when I realized that what really woke me up was the hamster making “whoot-whoot” sounds. In my head.
So here I am.
Today, dear Moxie-Dude readers, I want to talk to you about teenagers. In particular, that awkward age when they feel they don’t need you and you sort of believe them because you find yourself saying, “Wow! You’re ALREADY 15!” and, “Because you’re ONLY 15!” – usually in the same sentence.
Confusing for them, but as their mom, also very confusing for you. It’s nature’s way.
When I first became a mother I remember someone telling me that the first ten years were going to be the easiest. At the time I just kind of rolled my eyes because clearly this person had no clue what getting up every three to four hours to feed a finicky baby was like.
Now that I’ve crossed onto THIS SIDE of the ten-year mark, I can finally speak in hindsight – which sort of resembles sign language in the way that I shake my head in disbelief over some of the stuff I used to believe. (Oh, and do.)
With that said, I’d like to give a shout out to Mr. I-forget-your-name-but-I’m-sorry-for-rolling-my-eyes-and-thinking-you-were-speaking-out-of-your-ass:
You were right. The first ten years WERE the easiest.
Let’s compare, shall we?
Age 10 and under
Your kids WANT to make a ceremony out of every “good-bye”. Even if that “good-bye” is just you going to take a shower.
Age 11 and over
The only thing you get to kiss good-bye is the ritual of good-bye kisses because suddenly your kids would rather be swallowed by a sinkhole than give any display of obvious relation to you.
*Sigh*
This has really all come to a head with back-to-school being just around the corner. While other years I may have been all “FINALLY!”, this year I’m being slapped in the face with the fact that my babies are going into grades 9 and 10. And since I was a teenager at their age, I’m only too aware of how hard it is to go to high school AND be a teenager at the same time.
Call me crazy but it just seems that surrounding teenagers with a bunch of teenagers is wrong on some level and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to save them because – let’s face it – teenagers are cannibals.
Puberty is such a lovely time for all involved.
My son is 11 and started middle school. I’m in full blown panic mode. All the students look so OLD! And cranky.
I agree. Teenagers are a scary breed. Apparently this happens in all generations but they even scare themselves.