TRUSTINGS NEW BEGINNINGS

[tpaschal]

For those of you who have teenagers, I have a question.

My 14 year-old daughter, very much mimics much of the behaviors of my ML'er.

Is it because she too is experiencing adolescence?

or

Is it because they are in the rebellious part of their life and they are taking on (imitating) what they see?

Trusting,

I've got a 14 yr. old daughter, too, and she is driving me nuts. My friends with older girls or girls the same age say they all go through it, and it's normal. The other mom's stories about their daughters do seem eerily similar to mine, so I guess it is a normal part of adolescence.

Although---I do think that her anger at her father is exacerbating the situation. She would have gone through the same issues, and probably reacted to the issues in much the same way, but maybe not to the same crazy degree she is now? Her anger at her dad and at the divorce is probably fueling her reactions to all the normal adolescent rebellious stuff.

My D14 and I had a Come To Jesus talk a few days ago. I lost my temper a bit, but it was time. All the understanding and compassion in the world wasn't getting me anywhere, so I laid down the law about how she was to speak to me and treat me and the other members of this household.

I really thought the kids and I had gotten closer through all this insanity, but now....? It seems to be getting harder for the kids as time goes on, not easier. It's not the trauma of the first few weeks after H left, but it's harder in its own way.

So, just from my own experience, I guess I'd come down on the side of---your D14 isn't mimicking the adolescent behaviors of her father, she's just being a normal teenager.

It's just too bad that we're having to put up with teenage behaviors from supposedly mature adults, at the same time as trying to raise the ACTUAL children and teenagers all by ourselves!!!