Parenting

Being a parent is not always a fun job.  Being the "bad guy" and having to be the "enforcer of rules and consequences" is not my favorite part of being a parent.  But it is very neccessary especially in this day and age of limited face to face social contact.   Kids don't talk face to face much anymore.  I have noticed this with my own children.  Mostly my oldest as she has access to Facebook, cell phone & internet.  They don't even use their cell phones to actually make a phone call much anymore.  Texting is the way they communicate.  I really believe that when you only text, or Facebook chat a lot of the meaning, feeling and emotion is taken out of the conversation.  Things can be taken the wrong way.  Thoughts and feelings are all over the place and assumptions are made solely on the words flashing on the screen.   It can make for some even rougher patches between parent and child as well.   


Parents are human....parents are not perfect.   We do the best we can with the tools and information we have for each individual situation.   


I often ask myself, "where did I go wrong?"   You see, my oldest daughter really has been pushing the boundaries more and more each day.   It's as if she wants to push as hard as she can to see what we will do.   What do we do?   As parents we have seen her struggle and although we still want to help her figure things out.  So that when she does go out on her own she is prepared for the world and all the not so fun stuff that comes along with being a grown up on their own.  
I go over and over in my head and I know I definitely did my best and tried to teach her how to be responsible, how to treat others and how to be respectful and work hard.  
Where do I draw the line?  How much do I take before I finally say, "You haven't shown us that you can respect our rules, or us for that matter, it's time for you to go".   


I am terrified for her.  


I worry constantly about how she will make it on her own with nothing.  As my grandmother used to say, "without a pot to piss in".    This is the truth, not a penny to her name, no vehicle, she has just a few short months to go till she graduates high school, and her job isn't scheduling her much.   She is applying for other jobs.  
I wish I saw much more motivation, more drive to become independent and rely on her own resources to survive out there in the cold cruel world.  
Do all parents go through this??  How do they handle it??  So many questions with so little time.


Kids grow up way too fast, I wish I  knew the answers and how to let go of my baby bird and pray that she can fly.  
There is a saying I have always loved and have been driven to emulate, 
"Together, let us give our children roots to grow and wings to fly".   


I hope I have planted her roots deep enough for her to survive the hardships, and wings big enough to take her where she wants to go.  Still I am worried!! 



4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:4-7