Toddlers v. Teenagers

To all the parents of toddlers who are at their wits end with potty training, tantrums, and sleepless nights, just you wait.

To all the parents of teenagers who are at their wits end with loud music, missed curfews, smart mouths, and know it all attitudes, God help us.

I always thought when my kids were little, that is when I would be needed as a parent the most. Man was I wrong. Teenagers need more guidance, more attention, more love, more patience and more tough love than any toddler I have ever seen.

Letting go of our toddlers hurts like nothing I have ever experienced. When I took my son to preschool the first day, I was crying so hard in the parking lot, I couldn't go in the front door.

When I picked him up on this 17th birthday because he almost got arrested, I was crying so hard I couldn't even look at him. Boy how times change.

Letting go of our teenagers is thank god, less painful and more liberating. I want my kids to go, I want them to experience life, I want them to travel and see things before they get stuck in the "real" world. So when I tell you "I cant wait for you to leave", I mean that in the nicest way possible, just please go somewhere cold so I can come visit.