Love is a Battlefield

A friend of mine has said, "Four going on fourteen." I can not deny the truth to that claim... and I wish she wasn't so accurate in describing the attitude. I am blown over by the sheer stamina of my daughter's sourpuss face and sassy remarks. I look into her stubborn eyes, watch her pop her hip and cross her arms over her chest as I ask her to pick up her blocks. To which she replies simply, "No." I then repeat (for the 10th time) the consequences of disobeying (time out, then time out in her room), remind her that her job is to follow the rules, and ask her to make a good decision. I don't get emotional, I just militarily recount the rules and enforce if necessary.

This has been repeated countless times everyday for nearly a week. I know that her Dad is gone and I am sympathetic, to a point. However deep her feelings of loss, she needs to respect the rules of the house. This Mama is still in charge and I will win every battle of wills... but I am exhausted! I do not want to argue about every little comment, what's for breakfast, what time is bedtime, what color the grass is! My sister reminded me I'm doing all I can but I just feel so depleted. I want to enjoy my daughter and right now I do not. I hear that this is the same story for teenagers, the never ending attitude, the battle field that stretches as far as the eye can see, and the feelings of despair. I am loosing my baby to her own independent self!

This is probably not going to change anytime soon. And she will wear me out. But I love her madly, and I owe it to her to enforce stability and regulations. As she gets older these clashes of will are sure to become more intense, but if I preserver she'll fall back into step... eventually. Until then I will provide structure, be consistent and stay strong. I feel better armed when I know the lessons she is learning now will serve her well in life. So Mom's remember... love... is a battlefield. Bring your ammo.