"I equate having a pre teen as going 4 wheeling. You need to buckle up cause its gonna be a bumpy ride! Little one will go from talking about Republicans and Democrats to the next minute crying cause she lost her stuffed animal."
In our household, I've started to equate living with our daughter as being on an emotional roller coaster - and while I know that it's normal... with all of the new hormones and identity issues she's facing, we still have a lot more drama in the house than we did a few years ago when Robyn was still a 'kid'
Actually, we're getting off pretty light around here - she's had two friends who have called her talking about committing suicide - and the most we are dealing with is a young woman who is struggling to regain control of her emotional life...
In some ways, she is maturing to adulthood, and in others, she's regressing back to toddlerhood - many of those lessons on how to respond to emotional stimuli are out the window and she's having to start all over again to learn to deal with everyday life.
Actually, I think she's doing a fantastic job - despite some of the calls I am getting from school - she has learned one great lesson that some of her classmates haven't, it's okay to take a time out... and it's okay to want to get control of the situation in a positive way:
Background: I volunteer at the library in her school several mornings a week, so I have regular access to her teachers without 'hovering', and I hope I am doing some good for the school at the same time... but it does leave me in a position to have strange morning conversations...
Teacher: "I'm worried that Robyn is becoming anti-social"
Me: "Oh, what happened?"
Teacher: "She wanted to sit by herself at lunch yesterday"
Me: "Did she say why?"
Teacher: "She said she was having an emotional day and wanted a time out because her classmates were annoying her"
Me: "Sounds like a solid rationale"
Teacher "well, yeah, but the other kids were staring at her"
Me: "What did she do?"
Teacher "Ignored them and ate her lunch. I went over to the other tables and explained that Robyn needed some quiet time."
Me: "Did that help?"
Teacher: "Yeah"
I have to say that I'm so very proud of Robyn for learning that sometimes it's okay to take a time out, even if others are staring bugging you - to walk away and gain control of the situation - or to just be by yourself... it's a lesson that more of us need to learn sometimes - and would probably help diffuse many situations, so at least for now, my steadily maturing tweenager has mastered one more hurdle in the road to live as a successful adult ... bucking the trend doesn't always have to be bad, sometimes it's good for the soul...
