WELCOME FRIENDS

Hi blog friends. Thank you for visiting our blog. As part of an Advanced Composition College Course myself and others, with similar interests, were required to create and maintain a blog for the semester. With that said, I am part of a group of mothers with children of all ages. My group consists of six members each with their own topic(s) related to the age of their children. Our goal is to cover many different aspects of parenting focusing on various age groups. The name of our blog From Diapers to Diplomas really sums it up. Some of the topics that the group will cover are: Potty Training, Toddler Nutrition, Sibling Rivalry, Behavior, and the challenges of both teenagers and parents during the teenage years. As you can see we will cover a vast age group from toddlers to teenagers.

I have two children, both boys. My oldest son is 24 years old and my youngest son is 15 years old so I decided to write about the teenage years. There are so many changes that children go through as they approach the teenage years and as a parent you have to accept that your child is maturing and growing into a young adult. It is our job as parents to help our children through those very confusing years. I have learned not to think of the teenage years as an ordeal but rather an experience. It is best to stay involved with your teenager and keep the lines of communication open. It is also very important to talk to your teen about drugs and alcohol, sex, and peer pressure. Parents need to set good examples by “Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk.” A parent’s influence runs deeper than you may think. If you have a solid set of core values, chances are your teenager will hang out with friends whose families share similar values.

It is a little frightening to watch your baby grow up and become independent. Not frightening in the sense that it is a terrifying or intimidating experience, rather, frightening in the sense that it can be difficult for parents to accept the fact that your little baby no longer needs to hold your hand when crossing the street. It is also frightening to accept the truth of your child maturing into a young adult. New found relationships, learning to drive, entering the workforce, and preparing for college are all issues that will need to be dealt with during these critical years. Reality is that the teenage years are all about our children finding their own identities. Yes friends, we have to let our children spread their wings and fly. I like to think of a baby bird learning to fly. Day after day the baby bird tries to fly and then one day like magic, there it goes, soaring like an eagle. Did you ever notice that the mother bird is not far away when the baby is learning to fly? That is exactly the type of nuturing a teenager needs. As parents we have to give them space but not too much.

My goal is to offer information that will be useful for raising successful teenagers and help to alleviate some of the stress that goes along with it. I hope you will visit this blog often and feel comfortable adding your comments.

Submitted by: Tina