“Oh my God! I would happily trade the teenage years for the newborn phase,” I say in frustration some days.
On other days, I walk around with a goofy smile on my face and a spring in my steps, because the said teens texted or called to share something about their day.
If you are looking for advice on raising them and doing everything right, I probably don’t have much to say – except wish you well and wave you off 😃
If you are going through the roller coaster of raising teens, growing with them and surviving this phase together , you are in the right place.
With my girls, sometimes I breathe wrong and that’s the end of us being friends.
We walk away frustrated and I wonder, What did I do now? Maybe you’d prefer it if I didn’t breathe? Or look in your direction? I mutter.
Then, on other days, we hang out together, plan outings and meals, tease their dad and we are back to being besties again.
One buys me fancy lotions and sweet treats , sends me reels, photos and links to cool places we will like to eat.
The other overloads my brain with K-pop idol facts and I can never remember which one is which . She also makes me listen to TWICE songs every morning, which I absolutely mix up.
One comes to my bedroom to chat with me at 10 PM where my brain is ready to switch off and my body is ready to crash.
She stands in the doorway and shares the tea, sits on the edge of the bed, while spilling more thoughts.
My tired brain loves it .
Because she is sharing.
The other tells me how a classmate asked her to explain the meaning of a hard word or the stories from her day – usually when we are in the car.
I won’t lie. I secretly look forward to these moments.
I have often ignored phone calls or messages when they are talking to me or when we are listening to music together.
Because literally everything else in the world can wait.
I say secretly because I am cool like that. If they ever read this, they will roll their eyes at me for:
- admitting that I look forward to our chats; and
- calling myself cool. 😃
Sometimes in those moments, I accidentally discover a secret crush or an insecurity.
Sometimes I find a little window of opportunity to share my worries – or sneak in a life lesson.
Yes, I get eye-rolls for the life lessons.
Just like I rolled my eyes at my dad, even at the age of 44.
But mostly, it’s about keeping the lines open.
So that, amongst the eye-rolls, the slammed doors, the K-pop facts I will never remember and the moments when apparently even my breathing is offensive, they still know they can come and sit on the edge of my bed at 10pm and tell me the tea.
15 Marbles 