tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post3238057778062304302..comments2024-03-27T05:30:07.368-04:00Comments on The More, The Messier: Guide For The PerplexedSuburban Correspondenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488916572135296650noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-71040381220208556162014-01-18T11:16:41.459-05:002014-01-18T11:16:41.459-05:00Melissa, I have a 17 yo son, a 15 yo son, and a 13...Melissa, I have a 17 yo son, a 15 yo son, and a 13 yo daughter. My oldest bought himself a 93 Toyota from a tow yard, and built it himself. We paid for 1/2 of the original purchase and repairs, up to 1000. After that he was on his own. I remember him coming home from school mad as hell because his friends were all being given "new" cars. New= Parents car. So I have to say this literally had me laughing out loud. <br /><br />TheresaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-32531802937852627872009-11-19T01:12:59.111-05:002009-11-19T01:12:59.111-05:00You just described my nine year old son! Heaven he...You just described my nine year old son! Heaven help us in 4 years! You are too funny! Thanks for bringing the laugh tonight--I needed it. I just barely found your blog through a blog from a blog from another blog...Hillorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17024146934219324063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-78589894768671832792009-01-19T00:04:00.000-05:002009-01-19T00:04:00.000-05:00Everyone above has said it all...and I am thankful...Everyone above has said it all...and I am thankful to know that I am experiencing something considered normal. Now if I can only figure out what abnormal is! Thanks for your post!Mom's in the kitchen!https://www.blogger.com/profile/07451633491738287866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-72386655442314745322009-01-16T18:32:00.000-05:002009-01-16T18:32:00.000-05:00Some days I think my 5 1/2 year old daughter has s...Some days I think my 5 1/2 year old daughter has skipped right on to teen years! I pray the Lord will give me the humor and wisdom to make it through those difficult times!mom2khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11241195741470904563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-1713303018769313772009-01-14T23:54:00.000-05:002009-01-14T23:54:00.000-05:00I like to remind everyone who tells me good parent...I like to remind everyone who tells me good parenting yields good children, "Adam and Even had Cain." Yeah, kids are what they are. And I'm grateful that I am in the eye of the storm with no babies and no teenagers; I've got about 3 years to pray before the storm descends.Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17254208744417742746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-2936265172234149082009-01-13T23:24:00.000-05:002009-01-13T23:24:00.000-05:00Scary, scary, scary. All I think of is my horrible...Scary, scary, scary. All I think of is my horrible self at that age. I still apologize to my mother. And she says, "Oh stop!... I mean you were AWFUL, but stop...." I turned out halfway decent, I'm very close with my mother, and I even make my bed every day after having a pigsty of a room as a teen.<BR/><BR/>Good luck to you!Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08980996613564416708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-7090073170888914132009-01-13T08:39:00.000-05:002009-01-13T08:39:00.000-05:00I admit to still exhibiting behavior number 1 on y...I admit to still exhibiting behavior number 1 on your "Possessed by the Devil" list from time to time. (When I am too tired from parenting to make the bed.) I will remind my mother she is a failure at our next outing.Motherwisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10627354624733983721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-75566474938998843772009-01-13T01:13:00.000-05:002009-01-13T01:13:00.000-05:00Y'know what? I have 14 nephews and 5 nieces and I...Y'know what? I have 14 nephews and 5 nieces and I have to tell you that the girls are a DELIGHT in comparrison to the boys. Seriously! The boys are so much more sullen than the girls. I can barely stomach some of them most of the time. <BR/><BR/>I really hope things improve with your daughter! I don't have any advice for you. I was a good teenaget and got cancer when I was 17 and my parents became my best friends.AS Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824357857464010209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-75933592336067752072009-01-12T22:53:00.000-05:002009-01-12T22:53:00.000-05:00I'm afraid. Very afraid. And I'm not afraid to a...I'm afraid. Very afraid. And I'm not afraid to admit it.<BR/><BR/>But I will say that it's been my experience (from watching others) that kids who hit their posession years earlier (while still in highschool) in the long run, tend to fare better than those who are 18 or older. (I make no mention of difficulty for parents.)Alison Wonderlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15764321314666554990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-29607330813568575812009-01-12T22:12:00.000-05:002009-01-12T22:12:00.000-05:00Here's what frightens me most about this post. My ...Here's what frightens me most about this post. My daughter is exhibiting many of these signs and she's only 9 1/2! I may not last through years of this behavior. Someone pass the wine please!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14349303360950494430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-4873574586271231902009-01-12T21:42:00.000-05:002009-01-12T21:42:00.000-05:00Oooh, it's nice to know that you can still have hu...Oooh, it's nice to know that you can still have humour while raising teenagers. I am heading for 4 girls between ages 11-18 in a few years. Should I buy stocks in Kotex while I'm at it? :) <BR/><BR/>BTW, you should really you watch the mom song. A friend just sent it to me, and I almost cried from laughing so hard. The best version is the one I posted here: http://blog.tellingmom.com/?p=215. If you don't recognize yourself with your brood, I have no hope left! :)Rosie : )https://www.blogger.com/profile/15196178511897265976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-28793009711195369022009-01-12T21:15:00.000-05:002009-01-12T21:15:00.000-05:00HA HA! I think your daughter and my son have been...HA HA! I think your daughter and my son have been sending smoke signals... <BR/>If I have to ask *YELL* for this child to clean his room ONE MORE TIME! <BR/><BR/>A good friend says to me that a child goes in stages. The odd years are their good years, the even are their bad. Well if that is true I need CASES of wine shipped PROTO! He is about to hit an even birthday... <BR/><BR/>I often tell Christopher that because Ian is in the Navy we get a discount to the military school in Salina Kansas..ha,ha!SabrinaThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10347329403278847816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-74232880255978991702009-01-12T20:46:00.000-05:002009-01-12T20:46:00.000-05:00I was married in Littleton but that really doesn't...I was married in Littleton but that really doesn't count now does it? :)Scribbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03178711182424809035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-21036712826784195642009-01-12T18:38:00.000-05:002009-01-12T18:38:00.000-05:00My just turned 13 yr old is the same way. Recently...My just turned 13 yr old is the same way. Recently her father has informed her that she is not to old for a spanking if she can not get her act together and stop acting like a spoiled brat. I don't believe in spanking, only as a last resort. But hubby, on the other hand, has occasionally given them a swat on the seat of the pants. I think that's where the switch that activates their ears is located. They finally listen once they get one spank.mommeeof10https://www.blogger.com/profile/03611832953435781430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-7704489575254724182009-01-12T15:48:00.000-05:002009-01-12T15:48:00.000-05:00I posted on my blog a month or so ago that I was c...I posted on my blog a month or so ago that I was contemplating getting a catholic friend to sneak me some holy water and then shoot it at my daughter with a SuperSoaker water gun from a safe distance away....I think God would understand and would not view this as irreverant at all.....jennisghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10541960394842264938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-52608714383577032322009-01-12T15:43:00.000-05:002009-01-12T15:43:00.000-05:00I couldn't agree more: total crap shoot.And THAT s...I couldn't agree more: total crap shoot.<BR/><BR/>And THAT scares the crap out of me.Don Mills Divahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03733674458423525738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-20341119776383037262009-01-12T14:23:00.000-05:002009-01-12T14:23:00.000-05:00OK, so I'm not alone. I feel better. I am also a...OK, so I'm not alone. I feel better. <BR/><BR/>I am also acting like my daughter...but I can right, because I'm the mom?!?<BR/><BR/>KariKarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10137123809062357819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-34702377747967458302009-01-12T14:04:00.000-05:002009-01-12T14:04:00.000-05:00My kids are already slightly insane, and they're b...My kids are already slightly insane, and they're barely tweens. Oy. <BR/><BR/>I'm almost afraid to take credit for the good ways that my kids are turning out. It might make me responsible for all the "other" ways they're turning out, too.<BR/><BR/>I swear, it's reason enough to have twins -- it lets you point at the other child and say, "Exhibit B: pretty, calm, sweet, and raised the same way as the other one. It's not all my fault!" Oddly, it seems to work, especially on my parents.<BR/><BR/>And how long will it take for my little dears to get used to actually doing school work again after Christmas break?! They're making me crazy!<BR/><BR/>And I have to ask -- how long did it take Anna to stop screaming after you took back the Target card? Tough love is hard on everyone. Believe me, I know...Mom on the Vergehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06764277306253027011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-75762773578047011472009-01-12T14:00:00.000-05:002009-01-12T14:00:00.000-05:00I wonder how much of this she'll remember when she...I wonder how much of this she'll remember when she's older? I think your reactions are really funny--I'm sure she does too, deep down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-62496714835274082102009-01-12T13:57:00.000-05:002009-01-12T13:57:00.000-05:00I have another sign of demonic possession: You te...I have another sign of demonic possession: You tell your 15 year old daughter that you are going to GIVE her your 5 year-old car when she turns 16 and she says, "Um, I really don't want that crappy car."<BR/><BR/>That's when you know you have to consider exorcism!<BR/><BR/>MelissaMelissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04665780703000352776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-55262789331428469472009-01-12T13:06:00.000-05:002009-01-12T13:06:00.000-05:00Maybe I should add, I have two daughters, one had ...Maybe I should add, I have two daughters, one had a bit of a devilish possession thing while in high school. She didn't finish school, got her GED and I am happy to say we can call her Dr. Daughter now. Hang in there.Queenly Thingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05478938683218591478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-17405413412490735152009-01-12T13:04:00.000-05:002009-01-12T13:04:00.000-05:00Not from Littleton but I have been spending a bit ...Not from Littleton but I have been spending a bit of time reading and laughing over here. Okay, Mary Alice says it's delurking day. Here's me delurking to say I can't go a day without checking in. Thanks for the good times.Queenly Thingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05478938683218591478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-60692420854933589772009-01-12T12:33:00.000-05:002009-01-12T12:33:00.000-05:00Although I am in Colorado, I am not in Littleton, ...Although I am in Colorado, I am not in Littleton, and I comment :) Sometimes :)<BR/><BR/>I'm just gonna give hugs today, because the annoymous poster above me kinda made me get all teary - Parenting is a thankless, heartwrenching, joyful, thrilling roller coaster ride. There is not a magic formula. Just a one day at a time job. That's it. Hugs.MamaHen Emhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13867805112014340425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-26929718451997180112009-01-12T12:16:00.000-05:002009-01-12T12:16:00.000-05:00Sounds like a bad day at Black Rock over there. B...Sounds like a bad day at Black Rock over there. But really, the proof of parenting comes in their lives, just not for a long time to come, i.e. when they have children of their own. The first time your daughter hears your voice come out of her mouth when speaking to her own children will be the moment when she realizes that all her rebellious sarcasm and attempts to separate from you have really just brought her back to the starting point. No matter how hard she tries, ultimately you are in her head and heart: her conscience sounds like your voice, your habits and values will have given her a place to start constructing her own life and you will find that reward enough for what you go through now.<BR/><BR/>I know everyone else has commented on the humor of this post, but I hear a lot of pain instead. I salute you for trying to create humor out of the pain your child is causing you. I know from experience how hard that is to do and how sometimes, when dealing with teenage girls, it is the only weapon left to us. I say this as the mother of a 19 year old with depression, trichitillomania (compulsive hair pulling), anger management issues, a former cutting habit, and possibly ADD, who put herself in the hospital 18 months ago because I didn't say the "right thing," whatever that was. She could only express her anger that day by hurting herself. <BR/><BR/>Did I take it personally? You bet I did at the time. Now I know that lots of it was her hormones and the chemical imbalance they have caused in her body. And I have always loved her and told her that. She knows I will never stop. I know she does and says things to me because she believes I am the only safe outlet she has. But your observation about whether that makes abuse acceptable is spot on. I have told her that I would have left her father had he treated me as she does, and that if she continues, I will distance myself from her as a safety measure. It would not end my love for her, but it might end our relationship. She has backed down some.<BR/><BR/>Also, a really useful book that helped me survive her middle school years, is one called "Yes, Your Teenager is Crazy: How to Love your Teen Without Losing Your Mind." It explains a lot of recent brain research that explains a lot of teen behavior. They are quite literally out of their minds: whole pieces of their brains are disconnected in adolescence! Basically, you are dealing with oversized toddlers with language skills. They need the same clearly delineated boundaries and limits as most two year olds. We need to stop treating them as ready to be adults, because, in actuality, their brains are growing in much the same way a toddler's does.<BR/><BR/>I don't know if any of this helps. If you don't feel like posting this with the other comments, I understand. You have a reputation for humor to maintain. But I heard pain, and I thought it should be addressed. You are not alone, and she will come back to you in good time. It's just hard to wait it out. I have cried myself to sleep more nights than I can count, and we're not out of the woods yet. But I do see the clearing ahead, and I know we're going to get there in the not-so-distant future. You and your Anna will too. Don't forget to tell her you love her, because deep down, she knows her behavior isn't likable and she wonders if she herself is unlovable. She isn't of course, but 14 is too dumb to know much of anything, and she needs to know that her mom will continue loving her no matter what. It is our hardest job as mothers, because it feels as if there is nothing we can do to change the outcome. But it is also the greatest gift we give our children and possibly the only thing we can do to steer their lives during adolescence. Good luck and God Bless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29186394.post-10612981995695060862009-01-12T12:05:00.000-05:002009-01-12T12:05:00.000-05:00I tend to read your blog while I'm in Littleton. B...I tend to read your blog while I'm in Littleton. But I also tend to comment, so I don't think I'm the culprit.<BR/><BR/>Currently, however, I'm in Englewood. Roads were slick and I didn't feel the strong need to risk life, limb, and mode of transportation.<BR/><BR/> ~LukeLuke Holzmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07799632321310461828noreply@blogger.com