October 31, 2020

This Is What Parenting a Young Adult Is Sometimes Like


I’m pretty sure the reason no has, as far as I know, yet written 
What To Expect When You're Expecting a Young Adult is because no one who has parented one of these wonderful but often mystifying creatures feels like enough of an expert to author the thing.

Life with a young adult is a lot like life during a pandemic: this is what's going to happen, unless it doesn't.

I'm certainly not about the write a book on the subject, but with the help of some other YA parents*, I did put together what could possibly be considered a pamphlet on this stage of raising humans; I'm so grateful to Grown and Flown for running it. If you make your way over there and have anything to add, I'd love to have you pop back here and leave a comment. Who knows? Between us, we might be able to write this book yet.

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*Sue Moore Donaldson, Melanie Hardacker, Miranda Lamb, Kim McKay Laws, Karen MacLean, Kori Titus, and other sweet friends on my Guilty Chocoholic Mama Facebook page.

6 comments:

  1. Snicker..."text-bully"--I love it! And you'll love this, but #9 totally applies to me now because I leave mine like that "just in case" my parents call! <3

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    1. Right?! Lisa, one of the many things I love about you is that you always latch onto what I latch onto! And I DO love that you do that with your phone for that reason! It's the full circle! Also, me, too. :) BLESS YOU for reading this, sweet friend!!

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  2. Oh my goodness, almost this whole list is me!!! Definitely have the bite marks on my tongue, know her weather forecast probably better than she does, have her address on my Amazon account, and would certainly drop everything to mail that stamp collection she needs!! And I'm happy to work her into any conversation, even if it's about what I saw on her latest Instagram post ;) Thanks for making this mom of a young adult feel seen and known!!

    Hope all is well with you and yours :)

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    1. Oh, Tracey! I LOVE this update from you! Hearing (or reading!) from you always makes any day of mine better. Thank you so much for reading this and responding so encouragingly to it. We are doing well, thank you for asking! (Apart from having two seniors during a pandemic and getting ready to send my baby 10 hours away to school next fall!) Blessings as always on you and your dear ones! :)

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    2. HELP before he gives me a stroke 🤪 our 19 yr old ( 20 on 12/23 )
      He is making us crazy with his lies, and drama, and then his pity party, he doesn’t have a job or a car - has worked at two restaurants since HS graduation. With Covid and all the pandemic, I get the job thing, it’s hard for adults to get work much less 20yr old with zero experience.
      He is mouthy and sweet, terrible about keeping his space clean but also very helpful to me (his momma) when needed.
      We have had a few “battles” here with lying, breaking into our closets because we lock them. He is miserable and making the rest of us the same.
      I know he will come back, I’m thinking alien abduction or brain damage has caused him some issues. We have 5 kids and this 1 has me about to rip out my hair 🤣😂🤣🥺🥺🥺

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    3. NanaB, I am so sorry! This sounds incredibly stressful for all of you! Yet your love and patience shines through in this comment. I don't pretend to have any answers for you, but have you looked into the Grown and Flown Parents group on Facebook? It is a huge community of parents of big kids, and there is a lot of experience and wisdom represented there. I believe if you posted this comment/question in that group, you would glean some truly practical suggestions, to say nothing of lots of support and encouragement. This, in any case, might be a place to start?

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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!