From Parent To Grandparenting

Hellooooooo..... from one parent to another, it's difficult to raise kids in today’s world.  When I say kids, I don't mean toddlers.  Toddlers are cute and manageable.  They eat, they crap, they have tantrums, and you get to watch them while they sleep.  They give unconditional love and when they're asleep, you can dream their dreams with them.  But these kids grow up and sometimes they become difficult teenagers. 

Teenagers.  They’re beautiful, wonderful, full of potential, exciting, dynamic and loving.  Kisses are carefully doled out and hugs limited to airports.  Teenagers have no control over their hormones or their emotions and they can be angry and moody.  Sometimes they suffer from bouts of rebellion, in which they use their parents as verbal punching bags, and outbursts can last from a couple of seconds, to minutes to hours. 

Oprah and Dr. Phil would have you believe that you need to listen to teenagers and acknowledge what they feel.  And you’ll try.  Mostly, you’ll try to survive, like you survived the Terrible Two’s, but this will be different, this will be like psycholgical warfare except there'll be no hugs & kisses. And you'll tell yourself, "this isn't my kid."  

But if you set boundaries for your teenager, you'll help them to become better citizens.  You'll solidify your relationship with them and ensure a place for you, in their adult lives.  And when they become parents, you can watch them as they go through all the pain and tribulations that they put you through.  Now, won't that be nice?  I think it'll be grand.  From parent to grandparenting.