There are certain rites of passage that preteens and teens go through. As a parent it can be bittersweet to watch their children pass through them. You see that they have taken one step toward independence, yet their other foot is still teetering on the side of childhood.
As a parent you feel this sadness for what is being left behind, yet you can also feel a joy about what is ahead. It can be a confusing experience not just for teens but for parents as well.
Although some rites of passage are more significant than others, there are some that will still impact you. Yesterday our youngest, who is a preteen, received his first cell phone. For me that was a rite of passage that he had gone through. He was now in the same league as his big brother and sister. The look on his face when we presented it to him was priceless.
We had a long discussion about the responsibilities of having a cell phone and what our expectations were. The biggest reason he received one was for safety measures.
Sometimes he rides to the park with his best friend and I want him to be able to reach me and vice versa. He will also be starting football practice in a couple of weeks so again, I want to be able to contact him.
Every rite of passage that my youngest passes through is probably the most difficult for me as a parent. He is the last one in the bunch who will do certain things. There is always that “last time” he did this or that. Like I said, it is bittersweet. Bitter because childhood gets further behind and sweet because a new stage of life is upon us all.
Sometimes I get a bit melancholy when I see these rites of passage happen. I have learned that its okay to grieve what is gone. I need to be able to say goodbye to some things. It helps me to move on and look forward to new things.
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