Oh, I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap
Oh, I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap
I'd go slidey, slidey, slidey over every-body's hidey
Oh, I wish I was a little bar of soap, bar of soap.
I loved that song as a girl scout. It had a great little rhythm and it was good clean fun....haaaa, get it..clean..WOW!
I like to talk to my kids. They are funny, intelligent and nice to be around. They tell me about their views on life. How they are feeling and what they dream about. I let them ramble...on and on.
I have to admit. Sometimes I dont care for the topic or what their views are on somethings. But I listen. I think sometimes they need to hear their own voices saying somethings out loud. To really hear what they are thinking. There is sooooo much more to think about today as a teenager.
The World is smaller. Social media brings things into their lives that we never had to deal with. It is normal and healthy for teens to question. They need to.
It is one thing for us as parents to tell them how it is and it is completely different when they experience it for themselves. It is insanely hard to not jump in and steer them clear of pain or heartache. But what would that teach them? What tools would I be giving them if I always gave them the answers or prevented an outcome? How will they learn?
This is where the slippery part comes in. I equate raising teenagers like holding onto a bar of soap.
The harder you squeeze the faster they are going to slip right out of your hands. Choose your battles. Keep your heart and your head level...open. It is too easy to squeeze them......to try and control what they feel ......and it hurts. It hurts us as parents when our kids turn on ideals and traditions that we as parents have held. It doesn't feel good to let them find their own way. Its scary as hell.....
We love our kids so much that holding onto them tightly seems like what we are suppose to do. That pushing them into the way we do things makes sense because we've already done it. We know what works. Its logical. We don't want to see them make mistakes. Mistakes.....hummmm? Perhaps the best way to look at that is as opportunities. Opportunities to teach. Opportunities to show by example what being a Christian looks like. Opportunities to see that not everything is done the right way but simply "a" way. That our kids can teach us too.
There are too many broken hearted teens that dont feel heard. They dont feel understood, like an alien in their own homes. The emotions that are running through our kids are valid and real. When they say they are in love. ITS LOVE! When they say I am sad. LISTEN! When they cry...HOLD THEM! Get into their beds and cradle those 160lb 6'2" teens......they need us....now more then ever because soon they will be slipping right out of your hands.
