T- Teenagers

I hear such nightmares from people who have teenagers so I am scared for when mine grace me with their evolving, immature-frontal lobe, risk-taking brains. But I heard a piece on the radio (good old John Tesh) and he said that because our brains are so impressionable during those teenage, high school years that peer standing, pressure and self image, etc. have a real defining impact on our personalities. He closed by saying there is still a piece of us that will always be in high school! It made me laugh for a second, then think. 

Ultimately, what I wanted to do in reaction to hearing this is be nice to a bunch of seemingly defensive, unconnectable, snotty teenagers.  If this period of time is so intensely affecting to these young people, I would hope it's not terribly negative so that it follows them like a chipped insecurity for the next few decades. 

If you have one chance, albiet a 5 or so year span of time, to offer that teenager some tools that you want to see incorporated in their personality, try to remind yourself of that and stay in the game for those handful of years while they evolve. I'm sure it will be painful as a parent, and really, I can't offer much advice except keep trying! In that it is similar to many other phases of childrearing - just keep trying and trying and hopefully you'll infuse some positive stuff!! 

Parenting is such an enduring game, it's the brick by brick foundation seen as a whole, and every layer counts. Some may turn out crooked, some may even crack but if we keep at it, stay on the job and lay the brick, we will soon have a wall that our child can then continue to build up themselves to its fullest potential.