Harro......

Being a parent to one teenage son and one teenage daughter can be quite stressful and at the same time can also be fun. My son and daughter are 18 years old and 13 years old respectively. Parents in this hi-tech generation have to be all in one to your kids;- mentor (to guide and mould them), close friend (to listen to their problems), nurse (to make sure they take their medicines on time when they are sick and not to mention lack of sleep during the night waking up to check on their body temperature), driver (to drive them here and there), ATM machine ($$$), etc. Gone are the days where kids were very obedient and would not dare to go against the parents' wishes. During our younger days, we did not have the kind of freedom our kids are having now but then again the games we enjoyed were mostly outdoor activities like playing marbles, flying kites, etc which were more healthier unlike now our kids are exposed to all those hi-tech gadgets and devices. Kids now are glued to TV and computers most of the time.

Being a mother to teenage kids, you have to update yourself regularly on the trend like what is Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and also some of the teenage jargons. My children are quite proud that I have Facebook and a blog as they know I am their modern mom.

Do you know that the other day my daughter came home from her school and told me that during one of the lessons some of the students mentioned about Facebook and her teacher (who is in her fifties) looked at them with a puzzled face and asked " Where to get it? Can get it from which bookshop?" After the students' explanation, the teacher asked again "You mean it has nothing to do with books?" The students were laughing away at the teacher's puzzled look and her remarks(sorry teacher, if you happen to read this, no offense ya) . So you see you have to keep abreast with what is going on so that your kids can relate to you in many of their topics and their daily going ons.

After those trying years of waking up a few times during the night bottle feeding, changing diapers, toddlers tantrums, back to school blues, we are now faced with another set of anxiety.... handling teenage issues. Some kids grow up into troubled teens, rebellous teens and mixing with wrong company. As parents, we have to try to understand them and give them advice and guidance as they enter the teenage world. Teenagers can become confused with their body development due to their body hormonal changes. Some kids may develop faster than other kids their age and those who do not show any physical changes in their body may feel that they are abnormal. They will feel the pressure from their peers who have shown physical changes and they may become withdrawn. This is the time where parents play a big role in educating and advising their kids that its normal as there will be some late bloomers. At the same time, kids this age will become increasingly aware how their peers look at them and they will try their best to fit in. They will take on different looks and identities of their favourite actors or idols and also to please their peers so much so that they often result in conflict with their parents.

A few years back I saw my brother in law's son wearing a very big baggy pants which was the craze at that time amongst youngsters. The jeans was so big that it looked like it was gonna fall off his bottom. The jeans were hanging loose around his hips and he was practically dragging the jeans along when he walked. I looked at him and laughed and told my hubby how ridiculous he looked. Little did I know that one year later, it was my son who was looking ridiculous wearing the big baggy jeans. I kept telling my son he looked so ridiculous wearing oversized jeans as if he was wearing his father's pants and he kept telling me it was so fashionable.

After so many baggy pants episodes, thank goodness the fashion finally faded. Phew! The jeans were so big and heavy, imagine washing them was really a chore.