I've almost got a teenager in the house.
Weston turned 12 this last summer.
People are always complaining about teenagers. And I've been thinking lately, maybe this Teenage Adventure has a lot to do with attitude. If you go into the journey expecting it to be horrible and awful and the worst years Possible, then you'll probably get just that, right?
But what if you go into it expecting it to be fun? What if you look for the good and the happy?
This boy is fun. He makes me laugh. We talk about books and school and cute girls. He asks me about the book I'm writing. He is a huge help with his younger siblings (he'll even play with Zoe in her pretend kitchen...that's a nice older brother, right?) He is impressed by what I sew or craft and tells me. I don't think I was half as responsible as him at my age.
Doesn't he sound awesome? That's because he is, of course.
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| My Handsome Cowboy and I recently took Weston to the temple. It was a great experience. |
Sure he makes mistakes, but don't we all? I know I'm not perfect. Although I like to pretend I am sometimes... and that never ends well.
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| He was pretty excited to eat in the cafeteria. Especially since we said he could order whatever he wanted. Yeah. He liked that quite a bit. |
But I have a lot to learn about this being a mom to an almost teenager. He's not really a kid anymore. He's a young man. And I can see it. In how he carries himself. In the choices he makes.
And I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud and pleased I get to be his mother.
I have to say I'm pretty impressed with him too. When I was asking for help on Aly's dress and he said something about how good it looked, I was definitely impressed. He's a great kid. My aunt said her mother-in-law once told her that she loved her teenagers and my aunt decided she wanted to be that same way. She definitely did. And she had great kids that stayed strong in the gospel. They loved to spend time with their family and they got along great (for the most part). After seeing their family, I decided that's an attitude I want to have with my kids. So you're definitely right. It's all about how you enter those years with your kids.
ReplyDeleteAhh. He sounds like a great kid. My baby boy is 12. He'll be 13 in Dec. He's a great kid and a big tease. He makes me laugh a lot. He has gotten a little more mouthy in the last year, but nothing too bad. Pretty normal for a teenage boy I think, testing his limits. my teenage girls haven't given me much trouble either. They just get a lot more dependent and opinionated and act like they don't want or need you as much, though they really do. So I agree with you that teenagers can be fun and sweet.
ReplyDeleteHe is a nice young man!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more about the attitude about teenagers. I also think a lot is in what parents teach them up until that point. Ben and I are blessed with great kids, but we've worked really hard to raise them the best we can. Good kids and good parenting make great families...even great teenagers! And we all have our poor behavior moments. But that's where we learn and grow as well.
We still haven't been to the temple with Melanie! We go every month, but haven't yet made the trip with her. Thanks for your example!
So are we still trying to get our kids to get together :P
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