To motherhood!
To motherhood!
The Teenage Struggle – A Parenting Moment
“Teenagers are the most misunderstood people on earth. Treated like children but expected to act like adults.”
I saw the above quote on Twitter and it made me think. As a parent of two teenagers, I know that navigating the transition from child to adult can be tricky. One minute they seem to have everything under control. The next minute they see to revert back to being a toddler where the simplest task is a mystery for them to master.
I only focused on my job to help guide my girls through this time. I didn’t concentrate on things from their perspective. Princess told me that, “Being a teenage is a struggle.” The seriousness on her face as she said this gave me pause. She is right.
Teenagers today have a lot more challenges to overcome. In my day, we had the usual things like school, dating, sex and drugs. Today they have all of those things combined with the internet age. Now a teenage mistake can follow you throughout life. The internet is forever.
I reminisce on my own teenage years and I remember feeling confused and misunderstood all the time. I especially felt that my parents were clueless. I vowed that I would do things differently with my own kids.
They say that you become your parents but I disagree. Okay, you may have the tendency to follow certain actions and beliefs of your parents. But I think most people strive to be better than their parents.
I may not always get it right with Princess and Diva but everything is done out of love. My goal is to raise two responsible adults that will treat people with respect. I want them to be smart enough to surround themselves with positive people and contribute something good to society. I want them to be comfortable in their own skin and accept people who are different from them. I want them to choose a career that is satisfying and enables them to pay their own bills. I want them to choose a life partner wisely. I want them to be happy.
Bottom line: Yes, being a teenager is a struggle. Being a parent isn’t easy either. But together, we can make it through.
What do you think? Any teenage stories to share? Advice?
New Cover Design
I got a professional to design an ebook cover for my upcoming short story, Lie to Me. What do you think?
I love it. It’s much better than my feeble attempts.
Lesson learned: Hire professionals.
Enjoy!
White Until Proven Black: Imagining Race in Hunger Games : The New Yorker
I must admit I recently downloaded “The Hunger Games” based on the popularity and discussion of the movie. However, I was disturbed by the back lash against the movie because of some Black characters.
If you have read the book, it is clear that the characters in question were people of color. My question is, why is that a bad thing?
As a writer, an African-American writer, I often wonder if my work will be read by people of all races. I understand that people easily relate to others that are most like them. But is race the defining factor. I enjoy Jodi Picoult’s books. The main characters are White and yet I empathize with their plights and root for them the same way I do with a book by Bernice McFadden or Kimberla Lawson Roby. Why does it matter? A good book is a good book. Period.
Most of the time, I don’t enjoy the movie adaptation of books because the visual element limits the experience. I do enjoy it when the character on screen mimics the picture I had in my head. Of course, reading comprehension is a learned skill. Maybe those fans of “The Hunger Games” that were surprised about a character’s ethnicity should go back to school.
Please click the link below:
The Book Bench: White Until Proven Black: Imagining Race in Hunger Games : The New Yorker.