Parenting Daredevils

I don't care how well behaved you think your child is, lurking inside of every child is a little daredevil.  Whether it's the staying up past bedtime to read or sneaking into the pantry to eat all the good stuff before the siblings get to it OR sneaking out to meet friends in the middle of the night, dancing in the street or jumping off bridges the daredevil streak it there.  I originally started this blog to write about the ups and downs of raising pre-teen/teen children, but then I quickly found out that wasn't easily done.  Firstly, I realized they should be allowed to recover from embarrassing mistakes with out the world knowing.  After all I wouldn't want all my mishaps documented.  Their brains are so flooded with crazy hormones, they can't think straight.  Secondly, I discovered that other parents of pre-teen/teens are very judgmental, and even catching wind of your little daredevils adventures could warrant them not allowing their child to play with yours.  Pre-teen/teen mishaps are a little more devastating than a third grader being too busy at recess to go inside to potty.  No one makes their kid stop playing with yours because they wet their pants after lunch. But any middle and high school offense of any nature puts your parenting skills in question.  Which is insane, because as parents we are all in this together and should be supportive.  But it doesn't work like that. So in the end I didn't write about the good, bad and ugly of parenting teens.  But I just want to let other moms know, you are not alone. It may seem like little Johnny down the street is so awesome and has his act together, but a lot goes on behind closed doors.  Even the best children can be  unbearable at times.  It's hard to be patient 100% of the time, and it's not realistic to expect to be. Just as your children are growing and learning, you are to.  It's just as exhausting to parent teenagers as it is preschoolers.  And I am discovering parenting adults not to be as exhausting, but emotionally wrenching at times.