Dear Kids,
I know being a teen is hard. I know you are overwhelmed with so much in your life right now and I want to always be there for you with comforting assurance and encouragement. I also want to make sure you learn all the life skills you’ll need when you leave our home and are on your own, so you can live a productive and fulfilling life.
Mom Nags Teens
When I tell you to clean your room, pick up your things and put them away, and do your chores, over and over again, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…
I do it to help you learn how to take care of your belongings, stay organized, and keep your living space clean. I nag you about these things because I want to teach you these important life skills now, so they are ingrained in you for when you are on your own.
I don’t want to visit you someday to find moldy food containers and fermented bath towels and piles of trash laying around your place. I don’t want you to go through life disheveled and chaotic, unable to manage your day-to-day living because you are neglecting to care for your things and keep your place in order. It’s tough keeping up on it all and staying organized and cleaning up after yourself, I know.
Growing up takes practice and hard work.
You might think my nagging you about these things is frustrating, but I promise you these tedious tasks are critical to living a productive and fulfilling life. You’ll see…
When I ask you if you’ve done all your homework or studied for your tests, or completed those forms, or emailed that teacher, or wrote down your work schedule-your sports schedule-your social schedule, packed for your meet or that long day ahead, over and over again, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…
I do it to help you learn to manage all the different responsibilities in your life. I nag you about these things because I want to teach you these important life skills now, so they are ingrained in you for when you are on your own.
I don’t want to see you fail to accomplish the goals you set for your future because you never learned how to be accountable and responsible. I don’t want you to be careless with commitments and full calendars that will only get more complicated as you grow older. Life requires much of us and if you don’t prioritize those areas that are most important, you won’t be able to live a productive and successful life. It’s difficult keeping up with your obligations and busy schedules, I know.
Growing up takes practice and hard work.
You might think my nagging you about these things is overwhelming, but I promise you that learning to be responsible and organized will have great results in your life. You’ll see…
When I constantly talk to you about respect and kindness and manners and thoughtfulness, over and over again, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…
I do it to help you develop the interpersonal skills you need to relate to others and communicate well with people you will encounter in your life. I nag you about these things because I want to teach you these important life skills now, so they are ingrained in you for when you are on your own.
Whether you are talking to friends or family members, coworkers or coaches, teachers or trainers, or anyone you meet- you must learn how to interact with sensitivity and respect. There will be pressure and conflict, miscommunication and misunderstanding in the many relationships you have and I want to help you navigate those hard conversations now, so you will be better prepared to manage them when you are on your own. It’s stressful learning how to have intentional and thoughtful interactions with others, I know.
Growing up takes practice and hard work.
You might think me nagging you about these things is annoying, but I promise you that learning how to communicate with others is the key to having healthy relationships in every area of your life. You’ll see…
So although I know you really don’t like me nagging you about allthethings, over and over again, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…I want you to understand that I am teaching you all the important life skills you will need by the time you leave our home and do life on your own.
I know my nagging can be frustrating, overwhelming, and annoying. But I am helping you grow up and growing up takes a lot of practice and hard work. I promise you that all this nagging is going to help you live a productive and fulfilling life someday.
You’ll see.
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