May 13, 2020 It doesn’t seem possible. As mothers around the country were celebrating Mother’s Day, we were celebrating both that holiday and my son’s birthday. Jacob is officially a teenager; the big 13. My little boy is suddenly five-feet, seven-inches tall. His little boy voice has been replaced by a deep manly voice (though it still cracks occasionally). He has the peach fuzz formation of a mustache above his lip. He’s developed a few pimples. He’s suddenly arguing with my husband and me about the dumbest things. I’m not sure I’m ready for this. At this point, I feel pretty capable of handling little kid problems. I can help solve basic disputes with friends. I can help solve academic struggles. I can put bandages on skinned knees and ice packs on bruised elbows. But now my husband and I are entering that portion of parenting in which we start to relinquish more and more control. Jake is now allowed to stay home alone for limited periods of time. He’s allowed to walk to the neighborhood store alone (with frequent check-ins). He spends more and more time trying to find his own way in life. While I recognize the importance of this phase of Jake’s development, it’s scary. It’s scary not knowing what he’s doing when he’s out of my sight. It’s scary not knowing if he’ll make the right decisions. It’s scary not knowing if others will take advantage of his trusting soul. This parenting thing isn’t for the faint of heart. As I make my way through my own parenting journey, I find myself appreciating my own parents more and more. I appreciate how well they guided my sisters and I as we found our paths in life. Even now, I rarely go a week without calling my mother looking for some sort of wisdom or advice. Since she somehow managed to survive having three teenage girls in the house at the same time, I feel like she’s an expert in navigating the difficulties of parenting in the phase of teen attitude. I’m blessed to have her in my life. Thank you to my mother and all the mothers. Your job is not an easy one, but it’s an important one. In fact, it’s a job that sometimes doesn’t seem possible. |
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