Search Results for: blog nurture your teens interests

Are You Trying to Live through Your Children?

Are you a mom who tries to live through her children? I know of a couple of moms like that. It actually makes me sad to see their children having to be and do what their moms want them to be and do. I think there may be a couple of reasons this happens. The one we are probably most familiar with is the mom who didn’t get to do the very things they are forcing their children to do. So they think that because they missed out on something, the same will happen to their children. But there is … Continue reading →

Your Teen’s Special Calling

Do you believe that your teen has a special calling? I do. I believe that everyone has a special calling. The last thing I would ever want to do is stand in the way of that calling. If there is one thing I have stressed to my kids is that they should strive to do whatever is going to bring them the greatest pleasure and happiness in life. Go for your dreams and do what you love to do. Recently I have been called into question for not trying to stop my 16-year-old son’s dreams of joining the Air Force. … Continue reading →

Grandparents Forget What It’s Like to Raise Teens

I know my mother means well but I think she has forgotten what it was like to raise a teenager. Recently I was talking to my mom about how I finally started letting my 11 and 13-year-old ride their bikes with friends to the park. She clearly disagreed with my decision to do this. I will admit that I have been a very protective parent. It has only been this past year that I have started to loosen the reins a bit and understand that I can’t put my children in a bubble. There are still some things I won’t … Continue reading →

Are Teens Overindulged?

Yesterday my daughter enjoyed a rare opportunity. She was picked up afterschool in a limo, got to drive around in it for an hour and a half and was then dropped off at home. She got to show off in front of her school and in our neighborhood. No, I wasn’t the one who arranged for her to ride in a limo. It was another parent who did it for her son and eight of his school friends which included my daughter. One might think a limo ride would be a graduation gift. But they are only in 7th grade; … Continue reading →

Nurture Your Teen’s Interests

When kids become teenagers it can become more of a challenge to connect with them. They are going through their own transition of separating from you and becoming their own person. Sometimes their interests seem so foreign to us, that we don’t know how to engage them. There are ways that parents can do this. It just might take some creativity and effort. Today I enjoyed a very special day with my 16-year-old son. It is not often that it’s just him and I enjoying an activity together. His interests are all about aviation, the military and history. So I … Continue reading →

No More Little Girl

My 8th grade daughter has been working on transforming her room this past week. We let her pick out her own paint and come up with her own ideas. We are also letting her do the work. That is actually to our benefit (smile). However we told her that once she picks colors, it will stay that way until she moves out. So she had to be absolutely positive this was what she wanted. She picked out a very deep purple. It’s quite dark and a stark contrast from the first color of her room, pink. Her trim was always … Continue reading →

Teenage Cliques

Old memories are being brought back, those of teenage cliques. Oh how I painfully remember those times. Cliques can be very heartbreaking. The memories were spurred by a conversation my daughter had with me. I find it interesting how she didn’t just tell me the situation. She wanted to first know how I felt about it. She asked me, “How would you feel if a very good friend of yours that you always invite to your birthday parties didn’t invite you to their birthday party? And then on top of it, she invited your best friend. How would you feel?” … Continue reading →

It’s Family Vacation Time

This is the last week of school for my 10th grader. Next Monday is the last day for my 5th and 7th graders. While everyone is counting down the last days of homework and sitting in a classroom all day, I am counting down the days of getting up early, making sure homework is done and packing lunches. But I am also getting excited for our upcoming family vacation. The very last day of school for my younger two is the day we leave for an educational trip to Washington D.C. In the past our vacations have been more about … Continue reading →

Stop Waiting for the Next Stage: Enjoy This One

I wish I could convince every parent who has little ones to really treasure these early years. I know that when my children were younger I would almost cringe to hear other parents say how fast those years go by. To me it didn’t seem fast enough. I got so tired of hearing those words that it was just easier to tune them out. In that moment in time all I could see were the tantrums, dirty diapers, sleepless nights and constant demands. I remember almost feeling like the life in me had been sucked out. I hate to say … Continue reading →