teenagers, just gotta love your ones!

You don't have to like or love their friends you just gotta love your kids, love them so much that you can validate and appreciate the people that they choose to love and be supportive as they learn about what love is first hand.

Early morning awareness

15 comes with it's own level of irritation that seeps out in attitude unconsciously and it's up to me to not be triggered by early morning attitude that is not intended... My reaction antagonizes and is like fuel to a fire... So again, I am reminded "recognize the small stuff and let it be like water on a ducks back... Don't react!"

fifteen

all I can say is, pick your battles!
and in the voice of my grandmother, is it going to kill you to listen?

Grounding

We rarely "ground" the kids... there are only two things that will get you grounded in my house, 1. being disrespectful and 2. Lieing. "Who is the adult that you would go to now if you needed someone big to defend and stand up for you?" "It's me, your mother, you say?" Well, if you lie to me now how will I know if you are innocent in the future? If you want me to believe you, you better tell me the truth. Lies, only make everything worse and end up taking a much longer time to resolve things." So, you sit in the hallway, on your bum with your back to the wall in silence all evening!and you eat your dinner on your lap and if you have homework you do it in the hall and you stay there until bedtime. "You do not own your own room in this house, nor do you own the toys in that room you sleep in, you don't own your beds or your clothes, you have them because I allow you to have them. They belong to me, and therefore I demand your respect. When you choose to lie to me you treat me like a fool... and I am NO FOOL!" They sat in the hallway for three days, "grounding" putting it back into perspective... they are the children, I am the parent! Lieing and disrespect will NOT be tolerated!

Of Another Mother

Between the loads of laundry and the list of chores on my to do list... Mothering a Child that is not My Own. Broken stranger, timid child you chose me. Frail thing, wounded wing, anything but wild you chose me. Seven years old and you knew there was a better view you chose me. With all your fears you made the choice to be brave, you chose me.