By: Emily Thompson
Date: Jan. 19, 2023
The consensus among parents is that raising children is an immensely challenging yet gratifying endeavor. Each developmental phase presents its own unique set of challenges to master. Just when you think you have a handle on things, the dynamics shift unexpectedly. One morning, I found myself confronted with three rapidly maturing tweens, and I hear from seasoned parents that the difficulties will only escalate. Nostalgia for the sleepless nights of infancy has crept in, as I reminisce about the days spent searching for pacifiers in every corner of my home. Oh, and those delightful tantrums? I would gladly choose them over the complexities of raising teenagers any day.
The task at hand is to strike a delicate balance—offering guidance while allowing them the freedom to explore and learn from their own mistakes. It’s a daunting reality, and I often find myself apprehensive about the potential for missteps. Telling my future teenagers to avoid certain behaviors, like engaging in intimate relationships, feels futile; I distinctly recall ignoring such warnings from my own parents. Conversely, I can’t exactly endorse the idea either, as that would be excessively permissive.
Our goal should be to establish clear expectations while equipping them with the tools to make informed choices. After all, raising a responsible, respectful adolescent is arguably the most formidable parenting challenge yet. Reflecting on this, I can easily identify 20 endeavors that seem less daunting:
- Swimming under the stars after watching Jaws.
- Executing a backbend after devouring a chili cheese dog and a blooming onion.
- Securing a royal family heirloom.
- Managing triplet toddlers in diapers simultaneously.
- Cultivating delicate, award-winning orchids in frigid temperatures.
- Completing a marathon uphill while being pursued by zombies and maintaining a steady heart rate.
- Battling fire-breathing dragons wielding a toothbrush while wearing flammable attire.
- Shaving intricate designs while nine months pregnant.
- Escaping Target without spending at least $100.
- Removing ice from your vehicle using only a Lego piece.
- Potty training a 2-year-old convinced the toilet will devour his anatomy.
- Extracting a waterlogged item from the bathtub using toothpicks.
- Performing head spins on a bed of fire ants.
- Sticking to a diet during the holiday season while employed at a bakery.
- Training a dog to stop engaging in inappropriate sniffing behavior.
- Becoming a tightrope walker without any balancing skills.
- Enduring the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard for three hours straight.
- Resisting the urge to devour more than one Oreo during intense PMS while having only Oreos available.
- Navigating the world’s largest corn maze with three wailing toddlers.
- Successfully achieving all your New Year’s resolutions for eternity.
I am certain that I will stumble, overreact, underreact, snoop excessively, and make my fair share of errors. Yet, I embrace the journey, knowing that amidst the challenges—like discussions surrounding substance use and sex education or the complexities of driving lessons—there will be those fleeting, beautiful moments that make it all worthwhile. After all, our children are truly worth it.
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