Freedom?

Isn't that the wish of every teenager? All they want is freedom.

I have one teen who can't wait to "graduate" and have all the "freedom" in the world. Then I have another teen who can't wait to get their driver's license because then they can "go wherever they want and do whatever they want." Neither of those two teens seem to be able to hear that freedom costs.

Teens seem to think that their parents live to rob them of their freedom. They probably won't see for years to come that these years are some of the most free. Free of bills, free of landlords, free of a full-time employer. If they think that parents exact a lot from them, just wait until they get the "freedom" they live for.

That first teen? Once you graduate then you have a landlord to pay rent to, a college to pay tuition to, a job to not call out sick from, an electric bill to pay, cable/Internet/cell to pay for, car maintenance, etc. All you parents out there know full well. The second teen? Just getting a license to drive does not mean that you have full license to go where you want and do what you want. First, you have to get a job to be able to get a car, or if family has given a car, then you need to work to provide gas, and need to earn the privileges to go places.

To try and tell teens this? It is like I am speaking a language that they have no comprehension to translate. Freedom is not a right, it is a privilege earned. Freedom is not free, it is expensive. I guess every generation has to learn the hard way, huh?

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teens

"He who is contented is rich." - Lao Tsu

It's got to be some kind of record!

Just an ordinary day, getting the bills paid. But then I saw something out of the ordinary while paying the family's cell plan bill.

This below illustrates how many texts one of my teens sent during the last billing cycle:

It's got to be some kind of record! It is madness I tell you.

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teens

texting

A Parent's Wish

It I had one wish, it would be that I could enjoy a peaceful Friday night and relax and unwind from the week and not be caught off guard (like so many nights after a long day at work) by a teen being cordial only to find that later in the evening they were hoping to maneuver for some time doing something with their suitor. Keep wishing!

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Silly Teens

Overheard being said by one of my teens yesterday:

"I'm not sure if I'm having a leg spasm or if someone is texting me."

Ah! The modern age! The leg spasm thing is much less likely in today's teens, since they don't seem to favor regular physical activity -- unless it is their thumbs texting on their cell phones.

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parenting

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musings