Day 303 The Perfect Mom Project

My middle daughter is in the throes of teenhood! I am getting all the looks that say "Please, I know way more then you!" and I have also been verbally lashed over and over lately with the spiteful tongue of a teenager with teenitude. If I was a weaker person, I would be huddled in a corner waiting for the teen years to pass by, but what made her the sassy teen that she is, is the same stuff in me that makes me the in your face, "not going to take the lip" mom that I am. That's right…she is just like her Mom.

I admit it, I see myself as a young teen when I look at her. Some of the comments and body language are very familiar. The best thing I can do now is just ride the wave. In spite of her hostility, I love her and the only way out of this is through it, so it is best that we get the show on the road! Hopefully we will make our way past this section soon. However, if it lasts another year, I will deal with it. My job is to get her to the other side of the teen years with as much self confidence and love as I can. Some days that just is not as easy as it sounds.

While I recognize what she is doing, I do not like it. I know that this phase of growing can be a challenge; it is even more challenging when you feel like you are raising yourself. If there is a way to lift her out of this and set her on the other side, I want to know how to do it. I remember how painful it was to navigate through this and while some of that pain is necessary, to much of it can be damaging. I also know that because I see myself in her, I am extremely sensitive to her, perhaps too sensitive. The best thing I can do is make it clear that while her perspective is that I am an idiot, she is still my daughter, living under my roof, eating and drinking my food, wearing clothes that I have provided and reaping the benefits of loving parents. Jeez, life is tough isn't it? So, today, I will suggest to my dear daughter that she suck it up and make do with the parent lot that she drew, because it is not going to change. You do not want to make Mom mad, because as we all know full well by now, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!!