I Won't Grow Up! Part 2

I promised follow-up, and here it is, although not very dramatic. The weekend arrived, and of course, the list remained undone, but my resolute teen started on the list, and stayed focused for about four hours. She then took a break and enjoyed walking to have dinner out with the family, and then she came home and set back to work, finishing the largest of the tasks before (a late) bedtime.

Saturday morning came and she asked if she could read and have coffee with everyone else versus starting right away, which her younger sister told her was a brilliant move! After breakfast the girls were focused and had their room clean and all the other tasks done by 2 PM.

So the fun began and we still have two days of beautiful weather, plenty of time, and new movies in the theaters. The only nasty task is mega homework, which she can work on for several hours each day, without my supervision. I have to say that this experiment was painless and I think what I learned is that patience is better than anger with my older teen, and being clear with expectations, and consequences, in addition to providing a timeline lets her take control.

My teen is very conscious of her responsibilities, but not above ignoring them if she thinks she can. I guess that makes her normal!

Photo credit: hoyasmeg

Labels: Healthline, Parenting, Teen Development

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