teenagers age us in dog years!!
I love this! It is so true!
Teenagers = Aging at warp speed!
- gray hair, wrinkles & frown lines (seriously, I used to be lighthearted, easy going and a lot of fun!)
- sore tongues from biting back “I told you so” when they ignore your sage advice and get in a heap of trouble
- calloused knees from praying for their safety… and your sanity
- being on a first name basis with the grocery store clerk because you’re always out of milk & bread
- bleacher butt
- budgets out the window as they grow 2 sizes overnight!!
- a whole new kind of tired – physical because “bedtime” is not on their schedule PLUS emotional exhaustion because kisses and band aids don’t fix teenage angst
- hormones…
enough said!
I have yet to find an anti-aging lotion that even makes a dent in the warp speed wrinkles I got during the teenage years! Sure there were fun times, great memories, conversations and discovery. But those years weren’t easy… they were growing up and changing while I was still growing up and figuring out who I was. When I was a teen, I don’t ever remember thinking my mom was anything but my mom – not a person with hopes, dreams, struggles… growing and maturing as well. Suddenly I saw her in a whole new light!
No one tells us about the teen years when we hold our babies. Or that we may be in hormonal chaos, midlife crisis or a growing, changing stage when their teen years hit! We have no idea how challenging it will be. That’s probably a good thing! Ignorance really is bliss sometimes!
So we carry on, muddle through and hope we get a few things right and that our kids will be gracious, forgiving and understanding someday when they are parents of teens.
How do you take care of yourself, maintain your sanity and find moments of connection and enjoyment with your teens?