There are days I seriously wonder if my teenagers are ever going to get to the point of being mature, responsible adults. Heck….there are days I wonder if Hun is ever going to mature!! Burping contests at the dinner table, farts in the car while frantically trying to roll down windows and crudely told jokes are the norm when all four kids and Hun are in a good mood. At least we have lots of laughter during these times – even if I am highly grossed out by most of it (unless I’m winning at whatever current contest of the moment that is…. HEY! I never said I was a saint!).
That said – there are moments when I see a glimpse of what the kids might be like when they finally do mature. Here are some recent examples:
Monkey just commented recently that she’s sorry she wished for a certain event to happen to her (which happens to all young girls at some point). She said now that it is here, she hates it and everything that goes with it. She said she shouldn’t rush growing up and just enjoy being a kid. I couldn’t have agreed with her more!
Rowdy is still giving us grief, but has his moments as well. Today, he actually thanked me for helping him and held the door open for me. He asked if I needed any help with anything and jumped to do his chores with only one request. I think I’m currently in the eye of the storm right now with him as he just blew up at Hun and me a few days ago, but this current attitude is a welcome relief. He will be an awesome adult one day…..eventually…..
Candy Corn Oreos
Buddy has always acted more mature than his age. Sometimes I wondered if he would ever act like a child since he always seems more adult than he actually is. With him, when he acts childish and crazy is when I notice the difference and it makes me glad. This morning was a rare gem for him.
Somehow we got onto the subject of the new, limited edition, Candy Corn Oreo cookie. Buddy thought it wouldn’t taste very good and I agreed with him. Neither of us cares for anything super-sweet and this item seems to fit the bill. And then Buddy made the comment that had me chuckling all the way to work:
“I think they sound pretty corny to me!”
Who or What Was That? 
Sounds way too suspiciously like my family used to (pre-eating disorder). Some days I would welcome back that silliness, but like you, I remember asking myself if they were ever going to grow up emotionally. Although my oldest now is showing regular signs of being a “grown up” and I have to say, she is much more fun to hang out with now. 🙂 Of course it only took 18 years! Ages 12-17 are not for the feint of heart, but I think I prefer it more. While they think they know everything, they begin to be able to be somewhat able to be reasoned with (unlike the 3 year old – Lord help me!).
My stepkids are across the age spectrum, from 6 to 13, so watching them grow up is both a blessing and a challenge. I want so much for them, root for them to be so much better than what they are being taught by their poisonous mother. I see signs of the kids accepting the toxic behavior as normal, and that is hard to deal with. Other times, I see them, even the youngest, wrestling it out and coming to the realization that what they are being told can’t possibly be true, and I am proud of them yet also sad they have to deal with such things as so young an age.
Ours are a little older – 12-16, but have dealt with the same thing over the last 10 years. It is possible to get them to start thinking for themselves and not ingest the poison being fed to them, but it takes a lot of time and patience. You and Gary are their rock and stability in their lives – they might not realize it now, but will appreciate it later in life.
At least, that thought is what keeps me sane some days.