Does anyone besides me have troubles with their kids? It seems to never end. Its one thing right after another and unfortunately mine are 13 and 14 years old so I’m afraid this has just begun. I mean we’ve all heard about the teenage years and obviously those of us that are adults have gone through them but I have never experienced anything so disheartening as this.
I remember all my mothers friends talking about their teenage kids when I was growing up but never did I think that I behaved in such a way as my kids do on a regular basis. It’s not that they’re bad kids, not at all they’re really good. The thing I have trouble with at least for me has to do with responsibility. It seems so obvious to me that it’s time for them to take responsibility.
I mean my son for instance, has had the chore of taking out the trash for seven years. We started training him as a child when we lived in an apartment. But now even as a 13-year-old teenager he has to be reminded on a daily basis to take out the trash and not only that but to take out all the trash. What I mean is, he will get the kitchen trash and leave the bathroom trash. Am I missing something here? Why would he not remember to get all the trash?
And then there’s my daughter she’s 14 and she’s a good girl. Her one and only chore is laundry she is to do two loads five days a week as her contribution to the family. But invariably she only gets one load done. Again, help me understand how hard can it be to do to loads of laundry it’s not like we’re going to the stream with a washboard.
So there is my dilemma, my drama for the week. I just don’t know what to do with these kids. Maybe I should be happy I mean it’s not like they’re running in the streets and taking drugs. They even go to church and participate in all the activities so for that I’m very happy but there’s this one sticking point. Responsibility! Why don’t my children want to take responsibility?
Probably when I’m another 10 years older and they are out on their own I’ll have some more answers but for the next 10 years I suppose I’m going to struggle with the age-old dilemma of having teenagers.