On the first day of school, Jenna came downstairs dressed in an adorable maroon top and jean shorts with her Converse sneakers. It was the perfect outfit for the first day of high school. The next day, she wore another pair of jean shorts and a gray top with a tasteful cut out in the back. I remember thinking about when I was her age and wished I had her great sense of style back then. The third day, she sat at the breakfast table in a 5K t-shirt and gym shorts. I looked at her and playfully asked, “Do I need to do laundry already?” Big mistake. Huge! She rolled her eyes and told me no one else was getting dressed up and she was tired of it already. It was no big deal. This is her new favorite phrase to say when she thinks I’m overreacting to something. No big deal. She feels I make a big deal about everything when many times I’m just asking a question– or in this case–trying to be funny. So, I’ve taken her constructive criticism of my parenting style under advisement and created the Big Deal List. It is a work in progress, but this is what I have so far.
|
Big Deal |
No Big Deal |
| Her health, happiness & well being | Cooking her separate vegetarian meals on a regular basis |
| Household chores | Spilling most of the Starbucks latte I went out of my way to buy for her |
| Grades | Her wardrobe (as long as it is appropriate) |
| Family time | Respecting her need for space after too much family time (ie: family vacations) |
| Friends | Constant requests for money and driving her everywhere |
| Boys (not there yet, but I see it coming) | Minor squabbles with her brother (I know she still loves him) |
| Kindness & respect to others | Occasional teenage eye-rolling |
I will try to keep this list in mind and add to it as I pick my battles and navigate our relationship into the next phase. I can’t promise anything, but I will try. So help me out! What am I forgetting? What is on your list?