Help
Sign In
parenting
September 2007 
It happens quick...
FoodMagnetism
When I changed my daughter's diapers I knew the day would come when they would become teenagers and and I would be facing the challenges that every father of a teenage daughter faces. But it seems as if I were only changing diapers yesterday and today I have a 12 year old who is mad at me because I won't let her go to the street fair with the boy she has a crush on. When I delivered that particular bit of bad news yesterday at the dinner table I also included the caveat that there would be no one-on-one dating until at least high school and even then it would be reevaluated based on the situation. She escaped to her room at that point and all communication since then has been through text messages. What an interesting world we live in where a father talks to his daughter by typing on a phone. What an excellent opportunity to bring some awareness into my path as a parent.
Here's me putting her on a plane to Chicago to visit my sister, her first solo flight.
Access: Public
This really touched me.
Parenting is so rich with
opportunities for keeping
the heart open and the belly soft
isn't it?
I am humbled and inspired
by what you've shared.
that is a funny story.. I hope you are not still just text messaging. I have a 19 and17 year old. boys. I just get grunts and uhuhs from the 17 year old. Good with the older one though, he has passed through and come out on the other side. love them both though. jenni
I wonder - since text messages are such a controlled medium - if communicating through that allows her an increased sense of control over her space and situation and how she interacts with you as her parent when she's upset.
I remember my sister yelling at my parents through her closed door when she was mad at them; does the form of communication make the argument more or less severe?
I have a 4-year old daughter, so now I know what to expect. Thanks for sharing.