"Did I do enough?" "Does my teen hate me?" "Where did I go wrong?" "Am I ready to let go?"
It's easy to feel that every other mom seems to have it all together while you cry yourself to sleep. Self-proclaimed experts give contradictory information that is irrelevant when your teenager acts like a different person each day. And we don't want to admit that we are worried we're not doing it right, that we don't know what we're doing, or that there are times we don't want to do it at all.
As parents of teens, we ask ourselves: "Am I the only one who feels this way?
As children grow up, parents stop talking about their struggles, and many feel completely alone and overwhelmed with the challenges facing today's adolescents. Desperate to maintain a connection to their evolving child, we often don't need advice as much as someone who encourages them to keep going-and reassures them it will be okay.
In Loving Hard When They're Hard to Love, blogger Whitney Fleming shares her favorite essays about raising three teenagers in today's chaotic world. Written from the perspective of a fellow parent, each story will leave you with tears in your eyes and hope in your heart because someone else is saying exactly what's been going through your mind.
The book covers the challenging parts of parenting adolescents, such as managing big emotions, navigating school and social issues, and learning to let go, but also the beautiful things simultaneously occurring, like watching them find their passions, take charge of their newfound independence, and move on to the next chapter.
It's a must-read for anyone who wants to feel less alone in their parenting journey.