What's the best thing about having an teenager?

[LadyLavender]

Do you love watching your child become more independent?
Do you love being able to send them to run errands?

What is the best part?

[thumbsupgrin]

[Geri]

Well, looks like I'm the first on this one! Hee Hee! It surely isn't the way they test their momma's! Seriously, I'm still learning, but it is awesome to see what an awesome young woman my dd is becoming. Ask me again in month, when she gets her driver's permit. :-D

[babylove]

I'm about to find out as my dd is 13 in a month.

[pa_wife]

I LOVE that she runs around like a headless chicken getting ready in the morning, REFUSES to eat any breakfast, leaves a hair product trail blazing behind her as she flies out the door to her jeep and barely rememberes to yell "bye mama." Then 6 1/2 hours later, my phone rings and I hear, "hey mom, whatcha doin?" That's right, she usually doesn't even get half way thru the school parking lot before she is calling me to tell me something about her day. I'm still #1 in her de-stress regimen. Then she gets home and finishes homework, does her chores, not really talking alot because she has about 4 classes that require verbal input. BUT, she leans on me, physically, whenever she is near me in the kitchen or if we are walking thru the store behind the cart..she stands so close and leans into me and if I move away to get something she pulls my arm back where it was. She comes in and lays across the bottom of our bed at night and lets out a big ol' sighhhhhhhhh. Then she messes up my covers on purpose and kisses us good night. "love you mama..." "love you sis." "love you diddy(not a typo, it's diddy)...." "love you too Ems." "see you in the morning mom. what are you making for breakfast?" "are you going to eat breakfast?" "NOPE. hahahahaha"

[JoyLynn]

I'm lovin' my teens! [lovesmile] I love their more mature sense of humor, for one thing. They crack me up! :lol: I also love to hear their input in our conversations. They've become individuals, so in-depth talking is enjoyable and even insightful for me, for a change. The companionship is wonderful!! Going places with them is more like going out with friends. We also have fun pulling pranks on each other and making fun of one-another. They're super helpful and lighten my daily load. They're just good company! [OK] So far, I'd have to say the teen years have been easy. My third baby is going to be a teen next year. Shocking! I still think of her as being about nine or ten. Being homeschooled does help a ton in preserving the innocence of childhood for longer. Praise the Lord for that!! [claphigh]

[cheer]

Joy [welcomewave]

[Joninon]

Thanks for starting this great thread!! I really enjoyed reading what others have said.

[lovesign]Although I miss my babies and toddlers, I really super enjoy my kids as teens. I've always enjoyed my kiddoes, but, like some of you said already, they're like friends now. I love being with them. I love joking with them. I love hanging with them. I love discussing deep matters with them. I love praying with them. They're so helpful and caring. They're still kids, but in many ways they're so much like grown-ups. They get right to their homework and chores. They care about the Lord and have carefully thought and heartfelt reasons why. They love to teach/tutor each other and others in subjects they understand well. And, they play! I love to playfight with them (though I have to watch it as they're bigger than I am). :-D And, you know what, many nights they come and hang out with my husband and me on our bed...just like when they were toddlers...and we just chat, and laugh, and discuss, and be silly. I'm really going to miss them when they go off to college. My son goes first in just less than two years...then my daughter three years later. :cry:

[luvmy4sons]

The way it has deepened my faith and trust in God as I learn to let go...and having them come to me and share something without being asked. Seeing them be adult like in their behavior! It is good to focus on the positives...LOL!

[mom2jl]

I love the jokes she comes up with. She's so much more fun to shop with now and it's great that I can get her to run errands for me now that she has her driver's license.

[Chris]

Well I found this yet my son is only 18 months. terrible tantrum stage....

but wow reading all this has been so very encouraging to things to come. I would like to be like you who have such fun, deep sharing with one another. I love that they all get into bed with mom and pop and just chill, the closeness of the daughter while shoping.

I can't wait. thank you for posting this it really has encouraged me.

Chris

[Reneemomto5]

I have 2 teen boys, one very, very quiet one and one very chatty one. The change in the voice, muscle tone in the bodies its just amazing the change physically as well as mentally. They are both still very easy going, but let their opinions known a little more. Each time they want to do something totally different from the rest of the family I remind myself they are growing up, they are trying to set themselves apart a bit, let it go.

The way they come to you and ask such grown up questions, ones I love to discuss and can always bring the Lord into our conversations. Trying to love my quiet one, even though it seems he never likes to talk, trying to see its his personality and not take it personal.

They are really good, caring, loving and yes sometimes mouthy boys. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanking God for them each day, when reading from my journal last night just how grateful I was to the Lord for giving me my beautiful baby boys, just remembering how far we have come. Parenting is just an amazing and awesome journey!

[Joninon]

Parenting is just an amazing and awesome journey!

I so agree with you. :-D

Another thing I love about my teens...and thank the Lord for very much...is knowing how much very hard work and training went into their baby & toddler & elementary years (processes through which God held our hands as parents), trusting the Lord with those sometimes very, very difficult days, and seeing Him put the icing on the cake, as it were, now that they are teens. We still have some hard times, of course, because teens are still kids in many ways and we parents are just people ourselves, times when as parents my husband and I just must lay down the law, but it's so different from when the kids were little. [crossandheart]

[Madre]

They're fun! They all have great senses of humor! As teens, I enjoyed their companionship and developing conversational skills. I like to hear how they're thinking. I'm even enjoying them more as young adults. Sure, there will always be those moments when you butt heads, but that's at any age, isn't it? :-D

[Joninon]

:mrgreen:Yes, teens are fun!! And, interesting! And, they get to know certain subjects and train themselves in certain great skills and then teach you all about the thing. [clapping] And, it's so neat watching them enjoy a sermon all on their own and working on their own ministry all on their own. I'm looking forward to the young adults they become! :-D