If you have children then you know they magically get bigger. One day I am holding a little bundle of joy and what seems the next day I have a four and a half foot monster saying, NO NO NO!!! How may times have I treated parents for stress because of their teenagers? Lots.
I moved out of my parents house at 18 to go and finish my apprenticeship in Calgary, my daughter is half way there. I get a lot of comments at work about: “just you wait till her teens”. So like everything I don’t understand I go get some books on it and read.
The books say if I build and keep a strong relationship with her all may be well. Nothing is for certain but for sure if I don’t build and keep a strong relationship with her the chances for happy teenage years are slim.
To build that relationship is simple, it takes time. Lots of time, not quality (it would help) but quantity. The other day we did the beach, forgot to bring toys (remember it’s the dad, we where lucky I brought swim suits and some sun lotion). My daughter built this whole game out of “floating rocks” and we did that for a few hours.
To get the quantity I decided to take a day off work. That will cause some challenges at work. I am hoping it will cause less challenges with my child as she grows up. I’ll let you know.
Study’s and my own experience shows some days I don’t see my child when she is awake. I have left early for work and returned home late from meetings and she is in bed. I remember my parents doing that and as a kid I never understood it.
I was looking through baby photo albums and remembering the fun times we have had so far. I am glad I can take time off work to go and have more “memory making experiences”. With some luck I can also avoid some of the horror stories I hear weekly at work about teenagers.
See where you can carve out some more time with your kids, spouse, friends, even yourself. You may be amazed how fun it is.
Be Well,
Ward Willison
allbodycare.com
Acupuncture & Other Natural Therapies