It’s Been a Week!

It’s been a hard week at my house. As I sit here at my computer to write some encouraging words, my mind is blank. The truth is, I even opened a browser and got sucked into social media for a while.

Parenting is not always easy. Although our children are a blessing, their need of our time and attention can feel draining. Despite having really great kids, mine have been a challenge this week. The tween and teen years are in full force at my house, and emotions are unpredictable.

Adolescent years hold so much growth for children. There are so many changes physically, emotionally, and mentally. It’s an exciting time of watching our children grow into adulthood, but their mood and behavior through all these changes may require extra attention and energy.

Years ago, when working outside the home, I noticed a coworker doing a curious thing. A framed picture on her desk had been changed. She had covered the images of her smiling teenage sons with old pictures when they were chubby precocious toddlers.

When I questioned my coworker, she sheepishly explained she was trying to remind herself of sweeter moments with her children. They had become challenging teenagers. Every afternoon held at least one phone call from her boys checking in. She explained that looking at pictures of them as toddlers helped her not to respond in anger if they were going through a time of poor attitudes.

Regardless of age, children need an outlet for their emotions. That outlet is often mom. We get their tears, tantrums, and outbursts. Don’t lose heart. They know they are loved. They are trusting us to help them work through those big emotions.

While I was on social media a bit ago, an old picture of my kids popped up. Sweet smiling faces that filled my heart. I already confessed I got sucked into social media. I spent the time scrolling through old photos and posts. Memories of conversations during their toddler years up to current teenage grins and their crazy antics. Although there were challenging days in those memories, all I saw was how amazing my kids are growing up. As I give it more thought, this has been a very good week after all!

Teresa is a wife and busy homeschooling mom. With a passion for writing, she shares the adventures and lessons of her faith, family and homeschool.

Teresabrouillette.com

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