Parents Vs. Teenagers: The Age Old Battle

My daughter will celebrate her seventeenth birthday tomorrow and I don't know how I have survived the last sixteen years. I am uncool, my clothes are all wrong and I am totally lacking in social skills. According to my teenager; my friends and I don't have a clue on the latest trends, as we are considered to be fossils at the ripe old age of thirty nine. Even my choice of activities, seem to be outdated and "so last year." My daughter points out the fact that Pamela Anderson is my age and she looks great. She wonders why I don't have Pam's body or dress in the same outfits that Ms. Anderson is often photographed wearing. My response to her,"I choose to look like a mom, not Britney Spears!" Honestly, I think deep down, my daughter appreciates the fact that I don't look like one of her friends.

One thing that I have learned from this wonderful journey into teenageville, is that you must keep a sense of humor at all times. The ability to laugh at yourself and always remember what you put your own parents through at their age, is essential. Communication and an open mind are key elements in making it through this roller coaster period,in your child's life. Don't ever think, for one minute, that your child will not do or try something just because you have earnestly warned them about it. Where your words will always stay with them, they will be facing enormous peer pressure and influences that can sometimes out way your warnings. This is the time for open communication lines and non judgmental parenting. Be firm about your views and the rules of the home, but always show that you understand.

The hormones that flood a teenager can be almost impossible to deal with. The worst battles I have encountered with my daughter, usually involve a boyfriend. Teenagers feel as if they are indestructible. The future is no where in their sites and they live for the moment. This is where the teenager must learn the life lesson of consequences. As parents, we can love them through this phase and educate them on how to learn from their experiences.