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I’m Really Confused

Posted on September 12, 2008 by auburnchick

I had a good day.  At least I thought I did.

I went to work and even managed to find gas when I got off (pictures of the lines to follow in another post).  I took Soccer Chick and a friend to the high school football game.

That’s about when my day went south.

Life with teenagers is like a roller coaster ride.  There are a lot of ups and downs, and every day is filled with hairpin turns.  You never know what to expect, and you’re usually not prepared for what’s around the corner.

Soccer Chick and I have a tense relationship.  It’s almost like we’re both fighting for control.  I have a problem with this.  I am the adult.  She is the child.  We have huge respect issues going on, and I don’t know how to get through them.

You think that once you’re out of toddlerhood, you’re good to go.  I mean, you finally get your kids sleeping through the night, going potty in the toilet, and eating meals at normal times.  They are fairly self-sufficient.

Then they become teenagers, and they think they can change the rules on you.

I’m pretty much at my wits end.  Chick told me one day that even if I let her do whatever she wanted, she still wouldn’t be happy.

What’s a parent to do when their child tells them that?

Needless to say, I’m very confused.

I’m not exactly sure what my role is anymore.

Oh, I know that my eternal purpose is to glorify God, but what am I supposed to do with this earthling He loaned to me.

I’m hurt, confused, and frustrated.

Parenting is so hard.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Soccer Chick Gets a Taste of Her Own Medicine

Posted on September 12, 2008 by auburnchick

As you know, Soccer Chick is a teenager.  She’s the kind of child who’s always been strong-willed.  From the onset, it was quickly apparent that I had somehow managed to give birth to a decently intelligent creature.  Almost too intelligent, if you ask me.  Intelligent children present unique challenges.  Namely, they think they are smarter than their parents, and they start thinking this from a very early age.

Soccer Chick has definite opinions about all sorts of matters.  Always has.  I remember how difficult it used to be to get her dressed for daycare each morning.  After she was born, I had to go back to my full-time job, so our mornings were crazy, as are most households that contain young children.  Mr. AuburnChick has always been quite the stylish guy, and he insisted that she be dressed appropriately.  The two of them butted heads on a regular basis.

They would have knock-down, drag-out fights over her attire.  Yeah, I know…not cool.  I mean, can you picture a grown man arguing with a one year old about her clothes?

“Soccer Chick…stripes and psychedelic designs do NOT go together.”  She had a favorite pair of pants that looked like what I wore in the 70’s.  She HAD to wear these each day.  We finally solved the daily battles by laying out her clothes each evening.

Fast forward 16 years.

Soccer Chick, while a challenge child for me, is very good at handling children.  She’s an amazing babysitter, toting a bag of goodies to every job.  I don’t know what’s in the bag.  She won’t allow me to look.  All I know is that the kids ask for her when being notified that parents are going out on the town.

Yesterday, Soccer Chick met her match…in the form of a four-year-old woman-in-training.

Chick has been warned by the gal’s mother that the child was bossy.  That wasn’t the half of it.  When Chick got home later, she recounted how the girl argued about everything.  The piece of the puzzle was part of the sun, even though some of the castle was clearly showing.  The game that Chick played with her in the pool was all wrong.  She obviously did not know how to follow her charge’s instructions.  Chick could not do anything to suite her ward.

I heard the angels singing.

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Revenge…Illumination can be so sweet.

I sweetly (ok…maybe sarcastically too) asked my dear not-so-sweet child if she recognized anything familiar about the child.

She gave me a blank stare.

Of course she would.  She’s a teen.  Teens think they are perfect.

On the drive home, the mother (who was nice enough to save me a trip picking up Chick) discussed her daughter’s attitude.  Soccer Chick reassured her that the bossiness was just a phase.  In her word, “I’m sure I went through this phase too.”

HELLO!  I hollered to her.  Did you just hear yourself?  You used the past tense.  You’ve been in this phase since you were a year old!!

Again, another blank stare.  She did not find me amusing.

The best thing is that she will be babysitting this little girl on a regular basis.  I always thought I would have to wait for grandchildren before she would see the light.  Perhaps this four-year-old girl IS the light…15 years (I wish) earlier than I anticipated.

This is going to be fun!  😀

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