| In the last six months, my 12 year old… oops, I | | | | not be like that. If you're about to enter this |
| mean, my 13 year old, has grown about as many | | | | radically cool group of parents of teens, then, please |
| inches. His friends are wider and bigger, too. He | | | | talk with someone who has "lived" through it. Listen |
| ignores my cooing over him. He snaps back with a | | | | to them. Be heartened. Be educated. You're |
| big boy bite. He's – like – different. | | | | next. |
| Ever feel that after parenting your child for a full | | | | Be assured. Parenting teens is not about losing your |
| twelve devoted years, you deserve a graduation | | | | mind. Parenting teens is not about losing your cool. |
| certificate of some kind from some kindly parenting | | | | Parenting teens is not about freaking out. Parenting |
| university out there, if ever such a one existed? | | | | teens is about you going to Parenting Graduate |
| Well, just persevere one more month till year | | | | School. Classes are beginning in just a few. |
| thirteen. | | | | Seriously. The most valuable thing you as a parent |
| You'll know it when it arrives. It kicks in. Like a | | | | of a munchkin can do now, before that fateful |
| baby in the stomach, only with huge legs and | | | | thirteenth year arrives, is meet with another living |
| powerful thighs. | | | | parent of a teenager (yes, there are a few alive as |
| "Surprise. I'm a teenager now!" will be your kid | | | | we speak). Even better, meet with parents of |
| saying it without saying it. Parenting teens definitely | | | | 20-somethings. (Per my definition: a "munchkin" is |
| is different. | | | | any child below the threshold age of being able to be |
| When my first son turned thirteen, he let me know | | | | pinched and kissed on the cheek at any moment and |
| the shocking truth. One evening, he was out and | | | | just take it because they still like it.) |
| about wandering with friends late at night, so I drove | | | | Find these living parents of teens. They smile. |
| looking for him. Found him in the Block Buster | | | | They breathe. They walk. They offer hope. |
| parking lot. There he refused to get in the car to | | | | They will give you the biggest "P-word" ever a |
| go home. It was a P-T standoff. A burst of | | | | parent must know: Perspective. Perspective on |
| stubborn. A muster of persistence. And I lost. | | | | teenagers. Perspective on what works and what |
| Dizzed and dazed, I gathered myself again. Then | | | | doesn't. Perspective on being patient, losing cool, |
| cried. | | | | fighting fire, failing at it all. Experiencing its joys and |
| I was being kicked out of class. I ended up having | | | | sorrows. They will give you a good perspective on |
| to finagle my way back to parenthood prep school. | | | | parenting teens with love. |
| Twelve years of parenting had just evaporated. | | | | That's the number one task for you who aren't there |
| For this reason alone, I believe that if you are | | | | yet: Talk to other parents of teens. Listen and |
| parenting teens, you need a group of your own. | | | | learn. Easy to do, just be a sponge. Oh and don't |
| And desperately. Many new parents enter this | | | | worry. You will be tested on the material soon |
| "teenager" thing every year, unprepared. It need | | | | enough. |