Tween Speak

Do you have a teenager or an almost teenager? Well, I do. He's a tweenager.

I can tell you that, so far, this is NOT my favorite stage. I'll take the Terrible Twos ANYDAY!!!! We get a lot of fighting, door slamming, eye rolling, etc.

But the language! That is what drives me bonkers! (I'm a word girl, remember?) This is some of what I hear on a daily basis...

"Uh-huh"
"Fine"
"Okaaaayyyyyy"
"Sure, Mom"

But I realized something today as I was dropping him off at school...

When I say "I love you" and he says, "Uh-huh," what he really means is, "Thanks, I need to know someone cares."

When I ask how a test went, he always says "Fine." But, what he wants to say is "I aced it! Thanks for helping me study those vocab words!"

And when his dad tells him "I'm really proud of how you played and stayed tough," the response we get is "Okaaayyy." But what he really means is, "Gee, Dad. It means a lot to me that you come to my games and are so encouraging. A lot of others dads don't do that at all!"

But, my favorite is when I ask him to be a good example for his siblings and he says, "Sure, Mom," and then...he actually is a good example.

Now, I'm not an adolescent psychologist or anything, but I think, if we all took a second to understand the meanings behind the words, there would be much fewer fights, and door slams, and eye rolls, and... Know what I mean?

Anyway- I wish you much luck with your tweenager! I know the definitions will change, but now I'm ready!!!

Love you all,

Rulissa

Boy Talk

I don't know if you knew this or not, but boys are different.  Different from what?, you ask.  Different from everything...different from girls, different from other boys, just different.  And just because you have two boys in the same family, from the same parents, in the same house, occupying the same room, doesn't mean they are the same.  If fact, what works for one is almost guaranteed not to work for the other!

I want to tell my boys about life, God and girls (not necessarily in that order).  So here I am again, writing it down.  Hopefully they will read it someday and hopefully it will help me remember what I want them to learn.

To my Tween Monkey:
Life is coming at you fast right now.  It seems like only yesterday I held you in my arms and thought, "What the heck am I supposed to do now?!"  You will always be our guinea pig - sorry about that.  I know we make mistakes and sometimes expect too much, but I want you to know we are so proud of you.  All you have accomplished, all you will accomplish.

God has great plans for you, plans to give you hope and a future if you search Him out, call on His name and follow His will for your life (Jeremiah 29:11-13).  You are a son of the King - act like it.  Hold yourself to higher standards than the world.  Right now, you know sin when you see it.  Don't become blind to it or overcome by it (Romans 12:1-2). You are a great example to your brother and sister and to the world.  Continue to search after God, obey His Word and I couldn't be prouder of you.

I love you, Son,

Mom (Rulissa)