In November, my two teen daughters and I attended Girls of Grace, an event put on by speakers and musicians who have a heart for teen girls. I’ve worn the title of mommy, mama, mom — it differs depending on the child who speaks it and the mood they’re in — for twenty-seven years, and as much as my girls needed a good word spoken, I needed support and encouragement in this work of motherhood, too.
We’ve raised newborns, toddlers, terrible two-year-olds, preschoolers, school-aged kids, and pre-teens in our family — and those were challenging years (aren’t they all?) — but I’ll take the physical demands of a colicky newborn, sleep deprivation, and childproofing a house/houseproofing a child over the emotionally demanding work of parenting a teen.
Some children demand more attention than others, but they all need it. The saying, “Still waters run deep,” is true; don’t neglect the ones that don’t seem to need you as much. And although there are times when one requires more of your energy, my mother always reminded me I can’t devote all my time to one child.
During the afternoon breakout session at Girls of Grace, the moms met separately with the ladies from the group Point of Grace, who hosted the conference, and Trudy Cathy White, daughter of Truett Cathy. They shared wisdom from their own experiences and conversations they’d had with a group of at-risk teen girls.
Here’s what those girls shared:
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