This parenting thing is hard

I have been so angry with Connor lately. He keeps making really stupid choices. I am hoping a lot of the issue is his being 14, but this is so close to 18 that is scares the hell out of me that he is making such stupid choices. His impulse control is nil.

He is on such restriction that I feel bad for him. I don't feel bad enough to let up any. Punishments are given for a reason. So often I feel like he doesn't have anything. He doesn't have freedoms and things that will make him happy. He does still have his Martial Arts class twice a week, and I try to let him stay a little past to socialize if he needs to. He does socialize before and after school (lord knows he isn't going to tutorials or Spanish Book club).

Every time I try to stop being angry and have something pleasant with him, he screws up again. This kid is making it hard! Saturday, He and I went to have a nice lunch, just the two of us at Escalante's. Afterwards, he wanted ice cream, so we went to Piccomolo (wow is that stuff delicious! )It was nice to talk and have some non stressful time with him for a change.

Today, he interviewed for a position at the Houston Zoo for the Zoo Crew Teen Volunteer Summer position. He practiced with Karen and I before to prepare him for his first ever interview. He said he cracked a joke and made the interviewer laugh. That is good. He relaxed enough to let his funny personality shine through. He really is witty and funny. He has a 1 in 3 chance of getting a position. I hope he gets it. If not, we will have to find somewhere else for him to volunteer. He isn't sitting at home all Summer, and I am not rewarding his bad choices all year with a fun summer at the YMCA Teen Camp to the tune of $1300.00

I am going to keep trying to find my happy place and watch my tone with Con. While his actions are bringing the anger, a nasty attitude toward him certainly isn't going to help.

Supernanny

In my previous post I talked about how hard parenting is. That being said, I don't understand these parents on Supernanny with 6 years olds that hit and throw and scream and take an hour to get their teeth brushed and cannot wipe their own butts. How in the world are they going to deal with teenagers when they cannot handle small children.

We try to be touchy feely with Con and likely are being women, but I swear I don't see anything wrong with occasionally flicking a little unruly bastard in the ear and telling them to shut up, behave, and do what I say. My big problems with Connor when he was little were mostly him not doing the right things when he was away from me, not so much with not being able to handle him when he was with me.

I swear, these people act like they are afraid of their children.