MOM Keep Calm
Talking to my daughter, talking to a wall Ouch!
It hurts. It’s deflating. It leaves you feeling blue and hopeless. As moms of teens, we start to feel desperate. We fear our relationship with our daughter will vanish like fog when the sun comes up in the morning. We are anxious our sweet moments will wisp away to nothing but memory. You know she would have loved the idea just a few years ago. You long for the days when you laughed and played together. You wonder if you will experience that special connection with your daughter ever again. Hang in there, mom! A body snatcher has not stollen your sweet girl. But her body, inside and out, is under major reconstruction right now. She is distracted and overwhelmed. Her feelings swing from one extreme to the other. Unbridled emotion to total apathy. This is hard for a mama bear’s heart to take day after day. It won’t stay like this forever, but it will stick around awhile.
How do you break through the brick wall?
By Janet Lund
You know that feeling…
You’ve been trying to figure out something you and your daughter can do together like when she was little. Finally, you come up with a great idea! You are sure she is going to like this, or at least you really hope she does. The big moment comes. You share the exciting news and…the message falls flat. “Not interested!” Whether it was a mother-daughter date, a new activity you had hoped to try together, or suggesting she join you in chasing a goal, it felt like you were talking to a brick wall. Now your heart feels like it’s been body slammed.
In the movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Hagrid the giant, Harry’s newfound friend, knows how to get through a brick wall – not by breaking it down, but with a magical combination he taps out on the bricks with the tip of his umbrella. Mom, there is no magic spell to give you instant passage into your daughter’s heart. However, with a few tools and a little patience, you will get through to your sweet girl. You can help her find calm, let down her guard, and open up to you again. In order for you to do that, you need to prepare yourself. Here is how:
3 ways to get through the brick wall days
1. Take care of you. Make sleep a priority, and water intake too. Take time to quiet down, gather your thoughts, journal, read, pray, whatever helps you feel centered and calm. Parenting out of a state of calm will have a powerful impact on your interactions with your daughter and the rest of your family. 2. Make your own fun. If what you dreamed up for you and your daughter to do is something you really want to do, go for it!
OUTDOORS WITH DOUGHERTY
Dan’s Memorable Adventures
This tribute to our friend & colleague is a compilation of all his articles; Dan’s personal photos & art, even some that were never published. You’ll thoroughly enjoy this walk down memory lane.
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14 September / October 2020 | Christian Living
www.christianlivingmag.com
