Search This Blog

Friday, May 27, 2011

As parents of teenagers are we too busy?


Last Friday I rose at 5.15am drove my children to and from the ice rink, twice, got my car assessed for repair, went to the bank, assisted with setting up a garage sale for a fundraising charity event and managed to squeeze in a visit to my GP for health checkups which has now led to more scans checks and specialist visits mostly due to the 3F’s Fifty, Flabby and Family history – all of this achieved by 1pm on my day off. Ok so I did manage to have lunch with a friend after that and make yet another trip to the ice rink. I work full time and so I took a day off work to fit all of this in. I think we as parents are incredibly busy. We need to take stock and see if we can work smarter rather than harder. It is all about work life balance. Make the most of life but remember to take time to smell the roses.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Prodigal Not So Teenage Daughter has left home


Well the Prodigal Daughter has left home and hitch hiked her way to Melbourne. Fortunately she arrived safely. I spoke to her a few times during the week and asked if she had definately moved out as she had left again without any good-byes and was not around for her younger sister's birthday again much to her little sisters sadness.

The prodigal daughter has now given me permission to sort through her things and pack up usable items and permission to dicard non usable or ruined items left lying around cluttering up the house.

While this exercise in cleaning up is cathartic it is also one which brings mixed emotions of sadness to see a beautiful caring person with so much potential so hell bent on being oppositionally defiant that she has chosen a life of poverty and self focus over one of family support. This is entirely her choice and so as I pack up and clean up all of her stuff yet again I will set her free and send her things to her, readdress her mail for a while and let her live her life the way she choses without rescuing her so that she can learn by her mistakes and become a responsible self sufficient adult, one day.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mothers' Day memories: From Toddlers to Teenagers


As we approach Mother's Day, I seem to have been surrounded by doting parents and their young children eagerly participating in weekend activities together. I think back to a time when I too was captured by the excitement of each mini milestone made by my children. I even have a recording of my children talking, recorded over a period of time for prosperity. Sounds of crying babies, children making animal sounds on cue, nursery rhymes and cheeky chatter bring memories flooding back.

When did life start getting so serious that as a parent of teenagers my concerns are no longer about toilet training, toddler tantrums and timeout but now involve more complex issues. My life now revolves around providing a teenager taxi service, teenagers obsession with Face Book and texting, emotional hormonal driven outbursts, theirs and mine, driving lessons, accruing driving hours, alcohol consumption and wondering where on earth my tough love teenager is and wondering if she is safe and well.

Sadly this is my first Mother’s Day without my mum which is perhaps the reason for the introspective contemplation.

I would like to wish all of the mums out there a very Happy Mothers’ Day. I hope that your families dote on you for a change. I am reminded of a quote which I have on a fridge magnet. “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a while but hold their hearts forever.”