Do they Listen

Both of the boys hear but do not listen. They have both been told to stay away from certain people. They have been told not only by their mother but by their pastor.

Last night both sat by people they have been told to stay away from for an eight hour rock a thon. Nobody is listening. I would love to have some 16 year old consequeces if anyone has any suggestions.

One More Stupid Mistake by Mom

So, (as my mother always started out a conversation) I go to Wal-mart to get some things we needed. While I am there I buy my son a zip up binder. Why, because he is carrying around a three ring binder that is falling apart. He taped the top of it the other day. I thought he would like this one, he could put everything in it and not lose anything. Well, don't know what I was thinking, he doesn't want it. When will I ever learn not to buy this child anything. Unless it is from a name brand store, other than Wal-mart.

Raising Teenage Boys Without a Dad

This has been the hardest year of my life. I can not be a mother and father to two teenagers. I can only be who I am. I am their mother without a husband. I know they have enough role models around them. I attend the most wonderful church in Texas, or the US for that matter. They have youth leaders and big brothers that are wonderful men of God. But they don't have the everyday time they need to spend with a Dad. A Dad to horseplay on the ground, to throw the ball with, to go fishing with, or just talk to. So as a parent without a spouse, I will just try and keep them surrounded with other male role models and pray that everything will work out as it should.

A Nice Thing about Teenagers

They go on outings. They leave the house for hours. I am scheduled to have a nice quiet evening at home because the two teenagers are leaving town with the youth group and will be gone all night. YES!

"I Don't Get It," he says

I see that one of the boys has a few zeroes online for a few assignments. I print out the grade report and tell him he needs to take care of this. He assures me he has the papers and will get them turned in. Well, the next day comes around and the zeroes are still there.

I ask him if he turned in the papers and he said yes.

Then why are there three zeroes online.

Oh I haven't turned those in yet.

So you just lied to me, go to your room.

So after 20 minutes I tell him he can come out and he comes to me and says "Can I ask you something"

Sure.

Why did you say I lied, I didn't lie.

What, you told me you turned in the papers, didn't you?

Yes

And that was a lie, was it not.

Oh, okay, I'm sorry I lied to you.

Sooooooo...I'm thinking surely he knows he lied from the beginning. How does he think he is going to get away with it.

Just another converstion with a teenager. So what kind of consequences can we have here?

Intro to Self

I am 51 years old. I was married for 32 years when my husband died of a massive heart attack. This left me to raise two boys that we had adopted when they were ten. They are now 16 years old. I thought I would start a blog just for others that might be raising teenagers. Of course if you already have and might have some suggestions at different times feel free to post. I raised two boys who are now grown. They are in their late 20's. Now I am doing my best to raise these two. At times it just helps to vent and get ideas from others. It seems so different from the other two. Times are different. Circumstances are different. Since I am doing this alone it helps to read about others and talk with others.

Then I think I could blog about adopting older children. I could blog about having cancer and fighting it for over three years. I could blog about how good God has been to me through everything. So this might be about whatever. Just another blog journal. It is good to journal, to reflect back on things. This helps us to put things in proper order. Welcome to my new blog.