Teachable Moments

Does any parent *ever* feel prepared for THOSE discussions with their children?!? You know the ones...where stereotypically the parents are more embarrassed by the discussion than the children are...Actually, the one I had today had nothing to do with embarrassing subjects. Just ones that are hard to discuss on any front.

I had the s-x discussion with my 14 year old a couple of years ago..it really wasn't too bad. I'm hoping that my husband has had a similar talk with our 12 year old...still need to ask him about that. (ACK!) I think I'm about due to have the same talk with the 10 year old. We're late-bloomers in our house...really....the 14.5 year old is still, by definition, a child. Yeah.

So, back to the subject at hand. My 12 year old said that he liked a girl at school and wanted to go on a date. ACK! NOT ready for that. But, I decided to redeem the moment...making the most of him creating the opening.

I asked him what he liked about this girl....she's pretty and she likes to goof around. Pretty much what I expected. Nothing profound.

We talked about the fact that he won't get to date...that he's too young, and that if by some coincidence he got to go out, he'd have the company of either his mother or his father for the whole "date." Even his 14 year old sister has yet to have a "date."

Then we talked about what dating REALLY was...preparing for marriage. About the whole thing of trying to figure out ahead of time what kind of person he is interested in. About understanding about personality differences, and being unequally yoked. About learning to know someone by how they respond to other people, and with their parents. About how getting to know someone in a group is preferable to a single date where each is trying to impress the other.

I think I overwhelmed him. I actually hope I did. I am NOT ready for him to date yet. And if I scared him a little bit, that's not such a bad thing, is it? He's got PLENTY of time to date....after he's 25 or 30 or even 40!!! (okay, so his dad was married at 19[WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?], but my brothers both got married after 30).

All of that to say that taking advantage of teachable moments is how parenting works best for us...if I had to CREATE the chance to say all of that stuff....I'd be WAY stressed!! Another side benefit of being home with my kids!!!!

Job Adjustments

I was reminded by Dawn of Call Me Grandma Dawn that job changes are still times of adjustment, even when we are happy with the change and have looked forward to it...

I have done the transition from working full-time outside of the home to being at home full-time, working part-time (for money) and attempting to keep up with everything else that comes with being a mom and responsible adult. I have done this NUMEROUS times. The last time was right after we moved to Montana, and I was pregnant with our now-4-year-old. As a matter of fact, every time I (before this time) that I have been able to be home, I had an infant, or was pregnant. Every time it has been a huge adjustment for me.

This time is no different. We're in a different state, a new house, with new responsibilities and new stresses. No, I am NOT pregnant. I am attempting to learn a new profession while staying home with my 4-year-old and keeping up with appointments, extra-curricular activities, and housework.

I battle with myself and the little voices in my head all day long. I spend WAY too much time on the computer, even when I am NOT working. I really, exceedingly dislike housework. The laundry piles up and threatens to erupt (like that mountain in Chile this week...). The ants come marching into my kitchen...because the dishes are piled in the sink and counter and stove.... The vacuum cleaner quit working on me. The kids' toys are strewn all over the house. Yet, I avoid the necessary things of keeping up with my house....I blog. I browse. I read. Anything to NOT do what I really, really need to do.

So, where am I to obtain motivation? I know that this is part of the transition time from working outside of my home to being home. I KNOW this. It doesn't help. I feel like I am just slogging through this time until at some time in my murky future I actually start enjoying being here.

Don't get me wrong. I am HAPPY to be home. I LOVE that I get to spend this time with my children. I am VERY GRATEFUL that God provided this opportunity to me. I expected this...after all, this is not my first time to deal with the blahs that come with my recent job change.

So, anyone have any fresh motivation for me? Know where I can find some? Or, perhaps have a teenager you'd like to loan me to get my house back under control?