My daughter and I talked for hours the other night—not about anything in particular, school, her activities, life—but it was a rare chance for me to listen and to be close to her, which is sometimes a challenge when parenting teenagers.
As parents, we can all learn and grow, even if we think we’ve been down this road before and we know exactly how to handle every situation. The reality is that no two children are alike, and therefore, no two situations they face are the same.
Other WRAL Top Stories
My two daughters couldn’t be more different, and that in itself has challenged me to parent them each uniquely. What I’m learning now as I lean in to the eleventh hour, the last year before my youngest goes to college, is that there is still always more to learn in this arena. They are evolving into young women with ambitions, hopes and dreams that I will be called onto to help navigate and support in the coming years. It’s new territory when your children suddenly morph into young adults.
I’m excited for them, and I’m excited as a mother for the opportunity to see them blossom, and to be there when they fall down because they will fall down. But thankfully, they are living in a world where they see nothing but options and walls that they are fully prepared to scale to accomplish their goals.
I apologized to my mother when she was dying for how challenging I was to parent as a teenager. I thanked her for being so loving and supportive despite my surliness. She told me there was no need for an apology because that’s what she signed up for when she became a parent. She told me that if I hadn’t been an independent, outspoken, assertive teenager, then I probably would not have become a very interesting adult. She said it was a small price for her to pay. She said I would be paid back in due time, with my own daughters. And she was right.
“And someday,” she said, “they will finally know how much you love them.”
“And when will that be?” I asked sincerely, honestly wanting to know the magic answer to my question.
“When they have children of their own. They will know, and they will thank you.”
Thanks again, Mom, for all of your wisdom. I’ll let you know how it all works out…
Amanda is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.