Parenting Skills.101

Parenting Skills 101

Surviving the teenage years

If you don’t have a good sense of humor you are in trouble. Nailing Jello to a tree would be easier. Mood swings aren’t just for girls, the boys are even more unpredictable as the swings come without warning. At least with the girls you can look at a calendar and know when it is time get your thick skin on and keep your mouth closed. During a recent such week I received a phone call from the school that went something like this…

Mrs. Hennessy we had to send your daughter to the office today due to a confrontation with another student. The other student was being unruly in class and Fantu got sick of it and stood up, turned around and started scolding her. Now we know she had our backs (the two choir directors) but they got into a standoff and neither one would back down. We tried to get them to sit down, but we had no choice but to send them both to the office.

Yes, my sweet Fantu has the temper of a red headed Irishman (woman). She will also never back down. You could put her in the Hunger Games and she’d probably win it in record time, just be sure it’s that one certain week.

Clothes and teens, we all know how teenagers love clothes. Abate loves them. He knows what looks good on him and loves dressing to impress. He can be quite the peacock when heading out the door. Fantu on the other hand has her sweats days and her diva days. I also have to watch or she’ll have her days dressing in her friends clothes that haven’t passed my skin test - as in I see too much skin.

All I know is if I can’t laugh about these years then I have officially crossed the line to cranky old woman. I don’t ever want to go there so it’s better to just find a bit of humor in it all and laugh.

Parenting the Superstar

This one is tricky. It takes encouragement, compliments, and more time than you have in a day to keep these talented kids focused on what they do best. Trust me they both know they have talent, but it takes long hours of practice, hard work and endless games and competitions to realize their dreams. It also takes tons of patience, driving them places, sitting at games, competitions and practices.  You will need nerves of steel to be their parent. As a parent you are wrapped up so emotionally watching them compete you will feel as though you are going to snap in two. I have burst into tears of joy when they do well, and shed tears of defeat. I am raising them higher with happiness when successful and picking them up off the ground when they fail.  It is knowing when to encourage them and when to step back. It also sometimes means overriding their decisions when you know that to quit would be the worst decision they could make. It’s those things that make you the most hated parent for a bit, but then only to be told months down the road – Mom you were right, I am so glad you made me stick with it. Trust me when that first letter from a college comes expressing an interest in your child – you know it has all been worth it.

Next time…

Keeping the teen in the family.