The Care and Feeding of Teenage Boys: Final Installment

Here is the final installment of the conversation between my sisters and me about raising teenagers, especially boys. See the Care and Feeding...: Part 1 for the email that started us off.

Brain Damage
The comment that may prove to be the most helpful actually came from my daughter, an older and wiser teen of 18.
"My science teacher told us that all teenagers have brain damage.  The part of the brain that registers pleasure is disconnected from the part of the brain that thinks logically."

That explains a lot.


Advice from Sister #3  
Dear Nae,

I agree with our sisters. You have me laughing. The things you describe sound just like what happened at my house a few years ago.  I think you are doing great.  I wish I had the magic "this will set the world right" piece of advice, but I don't. 

I feel like saying of Cal's teen years ..."It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."  Those were originally Charles Dickens' words.  He was talking about the French revolution.  Teen years with the male of the species are like a revolution I guess.  They go from being dependent little boys to being men strong enough to take on the world, all in the space of a few short years.  No wonder it gets bloody at times. 

I think my advice is:

•   Love him, but don't feel guilty if you don't always like him. 

• Take advantage of the good times and enjoy him when you can.  There are delightful things about boys that age, some days.  

• Choose your battles.  If it isn't going to do permanent harm to him or someone else, it might not be worth the fight.  

• Offer him all the food, water and exercise he needs. 

• Take care of yourself too. You will probably be able to handle the music, and chaos, and attitude, and nonsense better if you are well rested, well fed, and laugh often.  I highly recommend date nights or escaping with your big sister.

I love you, Nae.

Disclaimer:  These notes were written to be read only by my sisters and myself.  If we sound advice-y, it is because we are big sisters talking to a little sister, and we can't help it. Besides, she asked for it. In contrast to the way we might sound, we are all mature enough to know that we don't really know anything anymore.