I’m supposed to be an expert on this parenting stuff – so why is it still so tough to do?
Pediatrician – check.
Read parenting books – check.
Read every blog I can find on being a good mom – check.
Create workshops to teach other parents how to talk to their teens – check.
But what do I wish my teen boys (and my husband for that matter) remember as we enter this next chapter of our lives? Parenting is hard….even for Doctor Moms.
In the era of not wanting to be categorized as a “Helicopter Parent,” “Snowplow Parent,” “Laid Back Parent,” etc, I wish everyone would remember that we all can agree on one thing:
Parenting is hard work.
There are some basic non-negotiables in my household:
- Hygiene (take a shower and brush your teeth and wear clean underwear and socks)
- No electronics allowed at night in the bedroom
- Talk respectfully. Act respectfully.
- Try your hardest and don’t worry about the outcome (i.e. I won’t celebrate an “A” grade more than a “B” grade…and I just love watching you play sports – you don’t have to be the MVP).
- Don’t use the word “popular”. I can’t stand that word and it means nothing.
- Safety. It used to be all about bike helmets and seatbelts…and now we include in the conversations the topics of sex, drugs…and rock ‘n roll ;)
Here’s what I wish:
- That I could yell less often (and who in the world decided it was a good idea to invent noise-cancelling headphones?!)
- They weren’t so hard on themselves. We can’t all be good at everything.
- That they believed me when I tell them that people’s lives in magazines, TV, and social media aren’t all perfect.
- That they remember I don’t always have the answer…let alone the right answer.
- “That the world wasn’t made with just one color flower”. I wish for them that they can be who they want to be without fear of rejection.
And of course health…..after all….I am a Doctor Mom.
