Search Results for: blog you may have to tolerate a bad attitude

I Wish I Had Parental Controls On My Children

I wish tweens and teens came with parental controls. I was thinking about that the other day when I was setting time limits on our computer. Recently our family did some renovating and moving around of bedrooms. What used to be the bedroom for my husband and I became my youngest son’s bedroom. We had to temporarily leave the computer in that room until we are able to purchase a new computer desk and move it into the living room. Well one night I woke up at 2 a.m. to use the bathroom and discovered my tween son was on … Continue reading →

Keep Inviting Them (Even If They Say “No”)

At 16, 17 and 18, my kids are starting to come back around—not that there were terribly lost, but hanging out with Mom was not something they wanted to do there for a couple years. My youngest is still a little wary, but we did have lunch together (and then another dinner out) for the first time in a LONG time a couple weeks ago. It is absolutely normal and natural for adolescents to avoid hanging out in public or even in private with mom and/or dad, but that does not mean we should give up trying to connect. Once … Continue reading →

Do They Always Have to Contradict?

I live in a household with a pack of contradictors–while I think I’ve gotten used to it after nearly twenty years I have to admit that there are times when I would like just one day…one day, mind you, when I could say something without having someone contradict me! I try to tell my kids that I am really smarter than I look and that there are people out in the world who think I know a thing or two. Of course, I think my teens are convinced that I couldn’t get myself out the door in the morning if … Continue reading →

Sometimes, I Really Don’t Get It

I try to be hip, I really do try to understand where my teenagers are coming from and maintain a sense of humor, a sense of balance, and some sort of detached curiosity–but the truth is, there are those times when no matter how hard I try to be hip and understanding, I really don’t get it… Sometimes, I admit I am absolutely horrified and petrified at the things my teens say and do–no matter how relaxed and savvy I try to be, there are jokes I don’t get, actions that seem so strange and foreign to me and I … Continue reading →

You May Have to Tolerate a Bad Attitude

How many times have you wished you could control or manipulate your child’s mood or attitude? I know that as my children reached the pre-teen years, I really wasn’t ready for the snarkiness and bad attitudes that came along. It wasn’t enough for me that they actually did what I asked them to, I wanted them to do it with a smile and glee. The reality was, if I waited for them do both mind and obey, AND be happy about it–I would probably be waiting forever! I learned that it is perfectly normal to expect and tolerate some grumbling … Continue reading →