Of course the day I want to write on what to do when your teenagers are driving you crazy, I have a morning where one of mine drives me crazy.
So my oldest decides to stay on electronics all morning and at the last minute, jumps up, “Crap! I forgot today is picture day!”
And now everything is a tornado frenzy, because of course his crisis is now my crisis, and he’s running around trying to figure out what to wear, as I choose a package, write the check and get him out the door in 10 minutes.
Experts tell us that we can expect our children to morph into aliens when they reach the age of 13.
What they don’t tell us parents, is we might turn into Madea/ Mommy-Daddy/ Dearest when their new pleasant personalities arrive.
Can the parents who lose their marbles sometimes please stand up. (whew ok I don’t feel so alone).
There is a confession I need to make upfront.
I have endearing names for my beloved children. I call them Pluckers. (and I may or not be guilty of passing this nickname on to parents who now call their children that).
I know it sounds bad.
And when said really fast, it sounds like another word. It’s even worse when I’m at church and say it and people look at me like I’m the spawn of satan.
What can I say? there are times they pluck. me. bald!
I have a feeling I’m not alone on this journey of being a tad frustrated during this season of parenthood so..
Here are my two cents for when our teens drive us crazy:
1. Take a break or call someone- Call parents who have walked this joureny or in the thick of it as well. We need each other’s wisdom and perspective. And sometimes we just need to know we are not alone. (life saver for me).
2 .When doors slam, attitudes rise up, and mouths are mean– Don’t take it personal. Don’t pull away. Don’t build resentments. Even though they look like adults, their brains are not there yet. That frontal lobe of reasoning is not fully developed. They are growing and trying to figure things out in the middle of raging hormones and peer pressure. We are going to be the wearers of their emotional vomiting. Breathe. Walk away. And beg God for mercy to not kill them.
3. Remember what it’s like to be a teenager- Let’s be honest, we so forget. The other day my youngest wanted to buy something I thought was silly and my mom quickly reminded me what it feels like to be at this stage in life.
4. Turn up the music and jam out- When you’re in the car and they don’t want to talk, turn the music up, (even if not’s your style), take your mom or dad hat off, get your rap on, and jam out to that quick beat. 😉 They may say you’re a dork, but I can promise you they will enjoy seeing this side of you. And you may get a chuckle. 😉
5. Enjoy them- In the middle of them being lazy, selfish, and their rooms not cleaned, when they want to show you a funny video on you tube, stop what you’re doing and laugh together. These moments are fleeting and are going to be greatly missed someday.
Friends—parenting teenagers is a roller coaster ride. One minute we are laughing our heads off with them because they are stinking hilarious and the next we want to choke them.
But, as much as we wish we could get off this crazy train, and as hard as it is, we wouldn’t trade it for the world. Think about it, we get the honor of watching these individuals evolve into what God is making them to be.
Someday we are going to laugh with them about all these nutty moments and we are going to look back at all the fussing and fighting and realize God’s hand was in the middle of all of it.
The longer I’m a parent, the more I realize I still have so much to learn.
And maybe it’s not about how much they drive me crazy or pluck me, but rather, what the Father is trying to pluck out of me during the process.
How do you deal when your teenagers are driving you crazy? Please share and comment below. 🙂
(image source: canstockphoto.com)
