re: Most challenging parenting years

Three kids....24,19,15.

The girl, the 15yo, is straight out of a horror movie.

Not because she's always this evil monster but because she'll offer glimpses of the sweet baby girl I've known for the last 15 years, lull me in with "I love you's", a nice "thanks Dad!", give nice big hugs, good conversations, jokes and laughs, and just be happy about life and her family.

Suddenly, and without warning, her eyes change...squinted and rolling. Her legs start to convulse, stomping around the house. Her voice reaches frequencies unknown to man, bellowing hateful and demeaning things no parent should have to hear. Her hands and arms, busy throwing things or slamming doors. It's absolutely. fricking. terrifying. Sometimes she'll cry for no reason, triggering your parental instincts to provide comfort, only to be rebuffed as if you personally contributed to whatever social drama is going on within her life. There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do, nothing you can offer to put the monster back in its cage...it just is what it is until it decides to put itself away for what could be hours, days, or weeks. You never know when the next possession will occur.



***Also, note for fathers of soon-to-be teenage daughters. I've found that asking "is it that time of the month?" during a monster appearance is NOT helpful. Consider my sacrifice in learning this nugget of information my gift to you.

The only easy day was yesterday