While this week has provided a great deal of content for writing, I have struggled with a topic for the week. I have circled around from parenting teenagers, to blended family parenting, to advocating for yourself and your kids. It all comes back to the difficulty of parenting in today’s society.
It is hard to believe that the past 7-10 days have been packed with as much drama as we have experienced, yet here I am in a calm state of mind. Maybe it is because I know the Lord has it all under control, or that I just see things differently and choose to make different decisions. I no longer rush to an emotional reaction, get upset, or assume the worst. Whatever the reason, it has been A WEEK.
Can we please go back to the 90’s? I do not recall my parents having to deal with threats of mass shootings, or all the horrific things that come along with social media, and just cell phones in general. Immediate access, cell phones, the world open to our kids, it’s awful. These kids, our babies, get thrown into middle school too early in my opinion, and that new freedom coupled with cell phones is a ticking time bomb. Each child is different and you never know which way it will go… will they receive texts from bullies… will they see things they are not supposed to see… just all the things it exposes them to and too young of an age. Not going to rant here, but PARENTAL CONTROLS (lock, restrict, shut down, block, etc.)
This very easily also rolls into blended family parenting. When you have a blended family that mix kids, different parenting styles of those outside your home, decisions are a major factor. Believe it or not, it can be a challenge for all kids to have the same rules under in home. We have 5 children blended and I can profess as a witness. We have the same base rules and base guidelines, but that has not held true when it comes to cell phones, social media, etc. What also plays a huge factor is that no one child is alike and they cannot all be parented the same. Girls mature faster than boys, some kids are more responsible than others, etc.
The only thing I (we) can do in these situations is advocate for ourselves and our kids. What I am finding as I walk this journey is basically just what I said above. What might be right for one kid, might not be for another. I am trying to make wise, informed decisions, and have sat in prayer a lot this week, which I will continue to do. At the end of the day, it is my responsibility to make the right choice for our kids. It is also my responsibility to do what I can to advocate for them. I told a friend in a text yesterday that “one person cannot make a change, but many can.” I immediately in my head retracted that statement. Maybe ONE person can’t, but maybe they CAN. We never know until we try…
Until next week,
~ Stace
References
I have no specific reading source for today’s post, but HERE are all of the books I am researching to purchase as it relates to parenting teenagers.
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