Tired mom wants to skip teen years
Dear Amy: I have an adult son, a college-age son, and a teenage daughter.
I have been divorced for the last 11 years.
I'm finding that, although my daughter still has three years of high school left, I am worn out with parenting!
Although it's not an option, I feel like I could just skip this last stage completely.
What can I do to reignite my passion for parenting?
It doesn't help that my daughter is going through a mouthy teenage stage and can be very difficult to deal with.
-- Tired Mom
Dear Tired: I don't know if you can realistically reignite your passion for parenting. You get parenting props for merely hanging in there and not giving up. Passion might be a little much to expect. But please do not give up. Your teen daughter needs as much parenting as a toddler -- it's just a different kind.
I'm going to assume that parenting your sons through this stage was different for you. You were younger, for one thing. And sons typically (though not always) experience their teen years with their parents as a discreet pulling back, where daughters tend to charge forward and confront.
Please try to see this as a young woman finding her voice, even when you know she is just being obnoxious.
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