Stepping In.

Here is my favorite knock-knock joke...

Knock Knock
Who's There?
Control Freak, Now you say Control Freak who...

Love this joke.

I generally am NOT a control freak.
I'd rather watch carefully as someone else runs the show,
ready to lend a hand or step in as needed.

Mothering teens.
This is a whole new world to me.
It is different than mothering babies, toddlers & tweens.

(can't you just see the difference from this picture?)
And sometimes?
Just sometimes I would like the control that comes with mothering a toddler.
Oh, this cute little boy would look so cute with THIS hairstyle.
Do I ask him? No. I just style it. See? It's so cute. Because I styled it.
Oh, we should take these cute little kids out to dinner for a family outing.
Mom & Dad pick their favorite restaurant, because nobody minds.
Oh, that thing is bad for him...I won't let him have it.

See, teens have OPINIONS.
And they want you to know their opinions, because they MATTER.
Sometimes they matter more than your opinions.
And they have FREE CHOICE.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that this is a good thing.

I am learning.
I am rolling with this "new world",
(even though I stumble as I go...a lot).

And I am finding that if I RELAX,
if I have a sense of humor,
and pick my battles,
there is fun to be found.
It's a different fun than the baby, toddler, tween world,
and KNOWING that helps.

It's not BAD Shelli, it's just DIFFERENT!
(yes I totally talk to myself).

I have found that even if they pull away a little?
You don't pull back with them.
You actually STEP IN and...
hug them,
kiss them,
tease them,
help them,
teach them,
discipline them,
remind them.

They thrive on it.
So maybe it's not that much different than mothering a toddler.

Is it?