We have to get a driver’s license, a marriage license, a fishing license and so on. I was totally unprepared for the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Oh – I knew how to change a diaper and feed a baby but that’s about it. When I was pregnant, I watched mothers in the mall and studied their ‘parenting skills’ and made notes on what worked and what didn’t. I listened in horror to the stories of the terrible two’s and the nightmares of potty training but felt they were blown way out of proportion. I was wrong.
Somehow I survived but am now facing the terrifying teenage years. Do you think I remember one bit of advice? Well, I don’t and I’m totally unprepared for what’s ahead of me. Now I long for the days of long naps, story time and trips to the park. I’ve forgotten the teething, tantrums, and scraped knees and remember the sweet smell of baby powder and the tender hugs from little arms.
My son is now taller than I am and starting to believe he knows it all. I went from “Mommy, I love you” to “Mom, you don’t know what you’re talking about” in a very short time. His room is a mess and he doesn’t seem to remember how to take out the garbage. He’s always on the computer and texting his friends. He’s impossible to wake up in the morning and he has a very dim view of the value of school. Everything I’ve learned about parenting through the years is useless now.
Teenagers should be considered a different species from toddlers and treated accordingly. I get a weird sense of satisfaction when looking at frazzled young mothers because I now know what’s coming.
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