Parents hope their babies will soon start walking, while parents of toddlers wonder when they can resume eye contact at family functions. Parents of middle school students long for the days their kids can drive so the family taxi can take a rest; that is until their teen actually begins driving. This means parent cat naps on the couch waiting for the new driver to arrive safely home.
But do you understand you’re never actually done being a parent? There is no finish line.
Just ask the mom of an Airforce Major trying to comfort her sobbing daughter 2,000 miles away because of her pending divorce. Ask the dad who tries to help his son find a resolution as his insurance company drops him because of two accidents the day before a hurricane. Or the mom of the brand new inner city school teacher as he faces daily struggles he couldn’t possibly have anticipated, but hangs in there because he wants to make a difference.
The challenges grow with your child. When they are little, it’s easy to put a band-aid on what hurts, and make the hurt go away. The saying, “little kids, little problems, big kids, big problems,” is very true.
It’s nice when your adult child calls for advice, but very stressful if you don’t have an answer. Still, it’s wonderful that they call, and sometimes all they really need is someone to listen.
We can do that.
All the best,
Tina Nocera, Founder
All so true. It’s just a different kind of wonderful when, in the course of one week, I can put an ice-pack on the cheek of my 20-year-old who had tripped in the parking lot, and have lunch with my 23-year-old who wants to tell me about the dance performance I had to miss. And yes, I do wonder at night whether my 18-year-old is getting enough sleep at college; the worrying truly never stops, but being a family is what it’s all about.
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When are you finished parenting? « Parental Wisdom® by Tina Nocera…