The man's side of it!

I really do!
Even when they do their best to make Cassie and I crazy. I understand that their job as teenagers is to disrupt the household, to make a mess as often as they can. To need us to drive them to their job, school functions, or other places at the last minute. They need us to teach them how to put the toilet seat down, wash their clothes, and do chores around the house. They need us to intervene when their discussions heat up to the point of no return.
My kids are very good at what they do too. Our teenagers lead very complicated lives.

For instance: My oldest daughter living at home is often lazy, it's difficult to get her motivated. She is 23, has a 10 month old son, (Who is the apple of his pop-pop's eye) but has no job. She has been waiting for a call from the Regal Cinema to start work (which may or may not happen) and she won't try to apply anywhere else. She often times needs to be reminded to take care of her responsibilities around the house, like picking up the baby's toys, cleaning up after herself etc.

The oldest son, he's 17, is a genius, but he is so absentminded he makes the absent minded professor look good! It drives me crazy! He can't seem to remember to tie his shoes, or some of the other mundane things, like take out the trash, do his laundry, clean his room, apply for college etc. I bought him an expensive day planner to help him remember the things he needs to do, what does he do? He lets his dog chew it up!

The middle child, a 16 year old girl is a wonderfully talented artist. Her art work is beautiful, I wish I had her talent. She also has an artist's temperament. One minute she is so sweet the next minute she acts like Linda Blair in the exorcist. (you know possessed!) She likes to scream a lot to make sure she is heard. She does a good job of it too, so the neighbors down the block tell me.

The youngest daughter is almost 13. Ahhh, that magical age! You know, all her hormones exploding, her mood swings up and down like a Yo-Yo. She also has a problem picking up after herself. I have to go up to her room everyday to make sure it's clean so that the health department won't condemn the house. It's not that she's lazy, she works hard when you tell her to do anything. She just doesn't see any problem living in a room that looks like the city dump! I think she has a floor phobia. Or maybe she just doesn't like the color of her carpet.

I have an older daughter living with her husband and children in Tennessee. Right now she is the easiest to get along with. She is 12 hours away! I talk to her on the phone or via email. Distance makes the heart grow fonder I think. She has four more of my grandkids whom I miss very much (I miss her too!). She just had a baby this year and we haven't gotten a chance to hold him yet.

I have often said how wonderful it would have been if I could have skipped parenting and gone straight to grand parenting! Life would have been so much easier. As a grandparent the only responsibility I would have is to shower the kids with love. When they start to act up I could give them back to their parents. When they mess their rooms or their diapers it's the parents problem not mine. So many other benefits. Sigh...

I know that I am not alone in this, There are other parents who face the same or even worse problems than mine. It's a never ending struggle between the young and the old, between parent and child. I take comfort in the fact that eventually they move out and start families of their own and will face the same trials and tribulations we did.

The problem is, sometimes they come back!

:rofl: Ain't this the truth!!!!

:ilu: sweetie

My guess is said 13 year old daughter doesn't like the color of the carpet.

:)