When my child forgets who is boss.

Teenagers. I have one. A man child. I love him dearly. He is my favorite. *I tell each of my three darlings that they are my favorite*

Lately, however, he has been acting like such a…well…teenager. I remember when The Big Boy did this. It lasted about a week. Seriously. A couple of fists through some dry wall in his room and a chest butt altercation with his mom (I won that round, by the way) and it was over.

Then there was My Girl. Her teenage years don’t apply here because she’s a girl. Enough said.

Not The Wild Boy. This is Year Two.

Do not get me wrong. He is a Good Kid. Which really makes it all the more difficult when he decides to act like a teenager. Almost shocking even. As in, I’m momentarily speechless. When I do regain my wits about me, I try not to blast him with both barrels. *oh, and I often fail that…meek and quiet aren’t usually adjectives used to describe me*

Take today, for example. He goes back and forth with this “I do want to play college football” and “I do not want to play college football.” Simple enough, right? Nope. The former sends his father into “my son is a college wide receiver” heaven. The latter sends his mother into “you best get on the grades then so you can actually attend college” tummy aches.

I’m usually pretty cool about teenage angst. I’ll take it. To a point. But when said teen hollers down the stairs, “I AM NOT DOING THAT!!!” well…that sets my teeth on edge and my mouth just naturally responds in kind. A gentle reminder of who is boss, it is not. A “get down here and look me in the eye while I remind you who is boss,” it is. Oh, and I get the last word. Period.

I know this is all totally normal. In some respects, he has it lucky that he is the third child of two parents in their early 50’s. *read…often tired parents in their early 50’s* On the other hand, he has to suffer the consequences of his siblings gone before. *read…been there, done that, not falling for it again*

Please know that when I pray for our children and our parenting skills…I include all of your children and you. It’s not easy being a teen and it’s not easy being the parent of a teen. This I know.

The hardest part? Like his siblings before him, I am so going to miss his teenage years.