As the Mother of a Teenager, These Are 5 Things I Want to Remember Daily

As the Mother of a Teenager, These Are 5 Things I Want to Remember Daily | Houston Moms Blog

Today, I become the mother of a teenager. Just to type it seems so unreal. My {much} older friends are the moms to teens, certainly not me! I’m not sure how this all happened so quickly.

Just like becoming a mom for the first time, entering this stage with a child is marked with fear and anxiety. I know that any mistake I make can be crucial. And I pray that my kids and I can both enter this road with a lot of grace and mercy!

I’ve made a mental list of the 5 things that I want to remember daily as I begin this journey of parenting a teen ::

1} I’ll have this child as a teen for the next seven years. Many before me have said that this time will be brutal. So I want to remind myself during those brutal times of just how quickly the first seven years of life went by. It was truly in a snap, a literal blink of an eye. The teen years are sure to go by quickly too.

2} I hope that I can remember all the stupid things that I did as a teen. I’m so glad that social media wasn’t around to document my shenanigans. I pray that my kids are smart enough not to record theirs via Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook, but if they do – Lord, help me not to lose my mind.

3} Kids have so much pressure academically and with extra-curricular activities. In our area, we see kids that are struggling with expectations to the point that they can’t even enjoy something that should be an outlet. Help me, as a parent, to discern where there is a need for balance, a need for encouragement, a need for a good old-fashioned push, and a need to tell them to walk away.

4} I hope that my kids always know that they can tell me the truth. I sincerely pray that I can hear the words that are said and give sound advice that is free from my own judgement. I want the words that come from my mouth to be clear, full of love, and promote a dialogue instead of a one-sided-statement that I think all parents are often so good at giving.

5} I crave the times that we can have fun and enjoy life’s adventures that are now possible because of their ages. I long to soak up every moment, each smile, all the laughs. These are the rewards of a life well lived for parent and child!

Personally, I think that teens in general get a bad rap these days. Especially since my kids and their friends are doing some pretty amazing things in our community! I know each moment won’t be full of rose petals, but I know that we’ll have more good days than bad. When times get hard, I know that I can lean on my faith, my family, and my friends. Most of all, I can trust without a shadow of a doubt that my heart and my intentions in raising my kids has been good. And with that, I know that everything will work out for the best … even if it takes longer than I would like!

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Stephanie C
Stephanie loves life and living it to the fullest. She always has something new going on, and it is probably the most random thing you’ve ever imagined! A native of Beaver Dam, KY, Stephanie stays busy with her family. She is wife to her hilarious husband Don and is the mother of two tweens – drummer son Avery and dancer daughter Piper. As a family, they enjoy anything fun-in-the-sun and annual trips to Disney World. She lives the good life in the suburbs of Houston and works full-time in the travel industry. A complete social media fanatic, Stephanie is always up on the latest technology. She is a living “Six Degrees of Separation” and seems to have some sort of obscure tie to most anyone you might ask about! Stephanie has been blogging since 2004 at StephanieClick.com. You can also find her @stephanieclick on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.

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