Mom of Teenagers

Yes, it has hit me hard lately that I really do have teenagers. So shocking to imagine myself at 30 years old as the mother of teenagers. I have had teenagers for quite some time. My oldest two are 17 and 18 years old, but it never hit with them so much. I mean special needs children have some great benefits of not making you feel as old as "typical" teenagers do really.

Now my 15 year old is another ball game! I am really feeling old. He got dropped off at the county fair tonight. We gave him a CELL PHONE! He called me (on time by the way which is very important) on the cell phone to check in and to set up where he was to be picked up. That is all very scary to me! I am very blessed with a very good teenage son. I am very proud of him and so glad that God chose me to be his mom.

Raising a teenager is interesting. They are stuck somewhere between "grown up" and "child". They still need guidance and structure, but also need to have some freedom to "hang out" and have fun. It is like a balance beam routine. You are contantly trying to figure out if its time to give them a little more freedom or not. You want to be their friend and their parent. You want to be sure that they can trust you and confide in you, but that they also respect you. You want to give them freedom, but not enough to get into to trouble.

Tonight he is home safe and sound. He seems to have had a good time. He has learned a little more about the world he is a part of and he is still confiding in me so we are good. I am very blessed and glad that I have my Heavenly Father to help me through this strange journey. I will need His help a lot because I am counting and at one point in my life I am going to have 7 children between the ages of 13 and 18 all at the same time. That isn't counting any other children who may join our family in the mean time! "Lord help me" is going to remain my plea!