I know that the consensus says we should dread the teen years but I have to say I’m kind of looking forward to them. My two oldest have entered that amazing stage of being my child, but sometimes we catch ourselves being friends too. Whether it’s shopping with my daughter and exclaiming over cute clothes like I would with my girlfriends, or my son and I discussing the merits of a good movie together after the little kids go to bed.
And with these precious moments of companionship to look forward to I refuse to buy into the lie that I’m coming close to the worst parenting years of my life. So I’m going to do everything I possibly can to keep the lines of communication open. And being that my oldest are 12 and 11, I’ll be putting my money where my mouth is pretty darn soon.
So the changes are slowly starting. My daughter has gone from wearing whatever I buy and put in her drawers, to having her very own little sense of style. And wonder of wonders, it’s just like mine. We love us some good jeans, long fitted, layered T’s and some low top converse.
But we part company at my big hoop earrings and her un-pierced ears (as if I’d let her wear hoops anyway!).
She’s been struggling with the decision to get her ears pierced for at least a year; every since her best friend got some cute little studs through her ears. And we’ve just sat back and let her make the choice herself.
Well, today, she made up her mind and off we drove to the mall for the big event.
And I really didn’t think it was going to be anything except exciting for us both, but as they sat her on the stool and shot the cute little earrings that she picked out clean through her innocent little ear lobes, I have to admit to feeling just a might bit dizzy. Not because they shoved a blunt tip through her earlobe, but because I knew this was one of those milestone moments….the stepping stones that lead to her growing up. I held back a few awkward tears as I crazily snapped pictures of the big moment and then headed out to Starbucks for a celebratory drink…
Chai Latte for me and a Vanilla Bean Frappacino for the little miss.
And with these precious moments of companionship to look forward to I refuse to buy into the lie that I’m coming close to the worst parenting years of my life. So I’m going to do everything I possibly can to keep the lines of communication open. And being that my oldest are 12 and 11, I’ll be putting my money where my mouth is pretty darn soon.
So the changes are slowly starting. My daughter has gone from wearing whatever I buy and put in her drawers, to having her very own little sense of style. And wonder of wonders, it’s just like mine. We love us some good jeans, long fitted, layered T’s and some low top converse.
But we part company at my big hoop earrings and her un-pierced ears (as if I’d let her wear hoops anyway!).
She’s been struggling with the decision to get her ears pierced for at least a year; every since her best friend got some cute little studs through her ears. And we’ve just sat back and let her make the choice herself.
Well, today, she made up her mind and off we drove to the mall for the big event.
And I really didn’t think it was going to be anything except exciting for us both, but as they sat her on the stool and shot the cute little earrings that she picked out clean through her innocent little ear lobes, I have to admit to feeling just a might bit dizzy. Not because they shoved a blunt tip through her earlobe, but because I knew this was one of those milestone moments….the stepping stones that lead to her growing up. I held back a few awkward tears as I crazily snapped pictures of the big moment and then headed out to Starbucks for a celebratory drink…
Chai Latte for me and a Vanilla Bean Frappacino for the little miss.
But our monumental day hadn’t ended there because my daughter has been letting me know that she is not the least bit ok with the amount of hair on her legs and has been gently probing me for a razor and shaving lessons.
Gulp!
So I found this great little do-hickey for $10 that I thought I would let you know about. Because I’m sure someone out there has a little girl who is growing up and needs a good tip. If you don’t want your little girl to chop up her legs with a razor I would highly recommend this little Clio Palm Perfect electric razor. (I promise I’m getting nothing for this plug. Sorry it sounds like a commercial.) She loved it and it CAN NOT CUT HER!
Her legs are now as smooth as they day she was born.
Now excuse me while I go look at her baby album and cry.
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16 comments:
Our family made a commitment years ago to celebrate and welcome the teen years, rather than dread them. One way that we did this is when each child turns 13, they get to go on a long weekend trip, just that child and 1 parent (the boys went with dad and my daughter went with me) My oldest son went to the NFL hall of fame in Canton OH, my daughter and I went to Florida and we stayed on the beach and went shopping, and just last spring, my husband took our son to Arizona to Cubs and Brewers spring training camps.
We now have 3 teens in the house, (they're 18, 16 and 13) and we really enjoy them! We have one more son who will be nine next month, so we have a few years to plan his trip.
So, yes, enjoy and celebrate these years! They are exciting, for them and for us as parents.
Oh my goodness! Pierced ears and a razor all in one day? I'd be falling over from the emotion of it all. No picture for us of the beautiful girl and her earrings???
Congrats, beautiful mom, on these rites of passage. :) Exciting times!!
Pierced ears AND shaved legs. Wow. Quite the milestones. Good call on the razor. My first time shaving my legs was a painful and bloody mess. Ick.
Oh, I've been wondering when my little girl (10) is going to ask to shave her legs. She has always been very furry--surprisingly so because we tend toward lightly hairy around here!--and just a couple of days ago she said, "My legs are really hairy!" Thanks for the tip on the razor. I have a feeling she might ask for one when swim season starts in June. Fortunately she'll be nearly 11 then...
SmallWorld
I love the optimism in this post!!! All the time I get comments about how horrible life will be with 3 hormonal teenage girls in the house. Add those to the memory of my own highly volatile relationship with my mom and 3 sisters during high school and college, and I struggle to find anything to be optimistic about. I just keep praying that the sweet relationships that I've formed with my girls will endure through any hormonal attacks.
Keep up the encouragement! It's inspiring to hear about your relationship. :)
There's NO way I would ever fit in with you glamorous, beautiful, stylish gals, not in my mama skirts and pregnant tummy and blah hair! Dare I commit to any trip that might make me look worse by being with classy ladies, and make you embarrassed to be seen with me?????
I had to hold back tears at your post about A too~ I'm there with you! Hannah's been asking about having her ears pierced, and we've had some talks about it....
And shaving, hooo, you really have a lot on your plate! I'm holding out on that too.
I'll pray for you and Chris, that God would give you the wisdom that you need to navigate these years....
And while I'm at it, I'll pray for me too!!! ;~)
Leanne
so true so true!
Being a mom of a 16 and 14 year old, I am feeling all these ways too - just a couple hormones ahead of you. LOL.
Having my girls home makes a HUGE difference I think. We spend so much time together and our conversations just flow. I LOVE IT.
Enjoy this time. Ignore those who make negative comments about it. It's a wonderful time to start walking beside your daughters and not ahead of them.
I am right there with ya!! I have a 12 year old boy and a 10 year old girl (both will be having birthdays soon). And I am enjoying them more and more as they get older. I know we are supposed to have a heckuva time with teen years but maybe I'm just naive and it will smack me in the face one morning. The earrings haven't happened yet with my daugher (she's afraid it'll hurt) and shaving the legs....who knows? But these are milestones and sad but exciting at the same time!! I'm saving the razor info...I'll need it before long!
thanks for the razor tip. My daughter asked to shave but I told her that she would just get hairier, and to put it off as long as possible! I cried when she got her ears pierced. I love your positive attitude. We want to do the same.
My daughter pondered shaving her legs for at least 6 months. She weighed the pros and cons, discussing this with me at length, until one day I looked down at her legs and realized that she might be part bear.
She started shaving the next day.
I'm going to have to check out that razor for daughter #2...she brought up the subject the other day:o
PS Sydney wears hoop earrings:o
This is my first time reading your blog (found it via A Familiar Path-one I read nearly daily). I just love this post. You are hilarious but also make me want to cry! AH! My oldest is only 6.5 yrs thank GOODNESS. I'm so not ready for any of this, though she asks about earrings. I went into a monologue about how beautiful and perfect her little lobes are and that she really needs to think about it more--citing my college roommate whose ears were still unpierced at 19. I know, eventually she is going to just make the decision...it's all too fast.
Take care,
Psalm40
Ear piercing in the pre-teen years is analougous to potty training in the toddler years...momentous to say the least. My oldest is heading toward the teen years like a freight train. He's 11, almost as tall as me and sports a men's size 10 1/2! Sigh...inevitable? yes! scary? yes! Gotta love em even when they're weird? Yep!
We hit that shaving mile stone woth my 11 year old this summer! Oh and we are all about hoops at this house. I think my daughters (yup, my 9 year old too) look adorable in hoops! Boy, I'm just the rebel mamma here. Your daughter is beautiful btw. Looks alot like you! ~K
I am echoing the girls who said that they appreciate your optimism. It really never dawned on me that it doesn't *have* to be that bad.
Like eeeemommy, I only have my own experience to draw from...sadly, no such a good one.
ROFLOL...I am so glad you didn't try to get a restraining order..I will email you...
I have a 12 year old girl. She got her ears pierced a year ago, but I have been putting off the leg shaving. I've just dreaded that she would ask me about it. But now I can't wait to go get one of those Clio Palm Perfect Shavers for her. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for sharing, Gayle! Love the picture. Wish we could join you for the Starbucks.
Which is what the post was really about, right?
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