Loving Your Teenager (In Spite of Themselves) Part 1 of 7
by © Judith Tramayne-Barth

Introduction

This blog is written for those of you who didn't stop to think thirteen years and nine months ago. Because you didn't, you are now faced with this alien being commonly called a teenager. So what do you do to survive the next five years? Well you could drown the little beastie but that seems rather pointless after already investing the best years of your life in his or her growth. No, a much better idea is to read this blog

It's being written by a parent who's been there, done that and is now, thank goodness, a grandmother.

Nobody is an expert on child rearing. If they say they are, they need a reality check. The ideas expressed in this blog are just one ordinary woman's opinions. I have no degrees in child behavior but I have something way more valuable, hindsight. This hindsight allows me to look back, see what worked, what didn't and give you the benefit of my knowledge. The first piece of knowledge is:

Keep a Positive Attitude

This is extremely important. How you think of the teen years you're either approaching or now into will have a definite bearing on how well you do. No matter what anyone else has led you to believe, teenagers are a blast. Sure babies are cuddly and cute but then they turn into the terrible twos, threes and fours. Five through twelve has some bearable moments if you have the patience to witness T-ball, beginning band concerts and innumerable sports events. But, for pure entertainment value, the teen years can't be beat.

Where else can you see such pathos, such drama, such comedy? And all within one twenty-four hour period. The mood swings alone will keep you young and vibrant just trying to keep up. Add to this, the blossoming of reason and hey, this clump of nothing you started with is now a walking, talking marvel. Of course this walking, talking marvel can sometimes be a pain in the you know what so you'll need to keep your...(check out Part 2 coming soon):