Parenting Tweens: Annoying Ways Tweens Show Their Parents Love
(Inside: Parenting tweens can be challenging. But there is help to understanding your tween daughters’ and tween sons’ behaviors, and how they show you that they love you as their mom.)
My sister-in-law relaxed in a blown-up lounger gently floating on top of the swimming pool.
Near her, I stood in the shallow end with my 9-month-old baby. His legs dangled from my hip into the water he gently kicked and splashed. As a new mom, I was filled with the wonder and joy of parenting a baby but also in a permanent state of brain fog from consecutive sleepless nights.
Noticing the dark circles under my eyes, my sister-in-law was assuring me that as the kids grow, life gets easier.
But as we tried to talk, her tween-age kids wouldn’t leave her alone. They splashed her, swam under her floater and tried to dunk her, and hugged her just to get her wet. They were laughing and smiling and could not get enough of messing with their mom.
Sweet sister-in-law, that does not look easier. Yes, I was tired, but my infant snuggled me while lightly splashing as my sister-in-law’s son did a giant cannonball with the sole purpose of drenching her. The kids’ entertainment was 100% trying to bug their mom and I was a little in awe of it. I was struck by how much my nephew and niece loved getting and holding their mom’s attention.
I think I’ve reached that point in motherhood with my two older sons. A good day for them is antagonizing me.
They’ve discovered photobombing, which because I love photography makes it not fun for me and even more fun for them. (Hence this photo where you can’t see my face because of my son’s blurry face. I know it was a dumb photo to start, but it didn’t even have a chance to potentially be good because it was photobombed!)
Their shenanigans didn’t stop there. As I was taking photos of another family at a park, one son put an actual real-live snakeskin on me.
If I sit at the edge of the pool, they are pulling me in. If I sit on the ground, they are climbing on my shoulders. They ask for sips of my coffee, not because they like coffee – they just want to drink my drink. When they were playing an outdoor game with their cousins involving shaving cream, I somehow ended up also covered in the white, foamy stuff. My son spilled ice cream on his shirt, ignored the napkin in front of him, and instead wiped it on my arm.
For. The. Love. What is up with my two older kids?
I think our family has officially reached the older-elementary-school-age-when-bugging-mom-is-fun-entertainment stage. This is new territory for me.
If you’re parenting tweens, be encouraged by reading more in the Create Family Connection Series.
We all want to feel connected to our family. I know, I do.
One of my favorite things to do with my family is to create family time. Yes, life gets busy, and no I don’t do this all perfectly (who actually does!?!), but it sure is fun to try.
I hope you enjoy these family connection articles and ideas too…
Creat Family Connection Series
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Know Your Child: One Way to Learn How Your Kid Feels Loved
INSPIRATIONAL STORIES
One Easy Way to Get to Know Your Kid
Parenting Tweens: Annoying Ways Tweens Show Their Parents They Love Them
7 Reasons Why Raising Tweens & Teens is the Best
CELEBRATING HOLIDAYS
Celebrating Real Love This Valentine’s Day With My Family
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Your brain bounces between your day at work, what time(s) your kids need to be at practice, your teen’s missing school assignments, that you haven’t called your mom lately, the load of the laundry to be switched, “What’s for dinner?” and “Why are 3 of my brain-tabs frozen?”
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Cheryl is a mom of 3 boys, wife, speaker, high school teacher, and author of Empowered Moms & Kids. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is passionate about learning and teaching. On www.empoweredmomsandkids.com you’ll find inspiration and encouragement for moms raising tweens and/or teens. Read more in the “about” section of this page.
nice post