Teen & Tween Round-up: Looking to the future

Girls watching TV by Jaimie Duplass via Shutterstock

The new academic year is underway. This means that parents of teens and tweens will be looking to the future. It’s exciting and it can be daunting too. Sometimes it seems that once your children enter Year 6, you are constantly looking to the next stage and making changes; the next school /college/university, the next test or examination, the next choice of subjects or even the next job.

We are looking to the future this month as Sarah has taken the decision to hand over the editorial reins. She has done a remarkable job for several years and many of us were avid readers of her monthly round-ups.  Sadly, the time has come for Sarah to move on – she is a hard act to follow but I will certainly give it my best shot.

Thankfully, my job was made easy this month by the fantastic range of great blog posts that were submitted so here is how bloggers are looking to the future this month.

I will start with Sarah at Mum of Three World and her hilarious post about buying new school shoes. I love the way she describes this scenario which will strike a chord with parents all over the country. Why do we put ourselves through it? My back-to-school preparations were less than impressive this year, I’m afraid, and I reflect on how I have changed since my eldest child started in reception. I have found that buying school uniform becomes more complicated as our children get older and their appearance starts to be a major issue for them. Mother of Teenagers has an exceptionally well-written and balanced post on the issue of female teen fashion which makes interesting reading for those of us with teen daughters in particular.

Many of us are now looking towards a time when our children are no longer in school and will venture out into the big wide world of University or the workplace. I was really struck by one excellent post by Just Saying Mum about the fashion industry. Whilst many teens aspire to success in this sector, very few parents are aware of what it is really like and may have pre-conceived negative ideas. Have a read – you may change your mind.

As our young people are looking to the future we, as parents, are forced to do the same. A beautiful and uplifting post by Not Just the 3 of Us reminds us that it is not just our children that need to look forward at this time of the year and that we should be gentle on ourselves (and others) about the way in which our lives are moving forward.

There is one thing that will not change. You will never stop being a parent and you will never stop worrying. I freely admit that this is an issue I wrestle with every day. Perhaps this is why I could relate so easily to the post on The Diary of a Frugal Family describing the anxiety you may experience when your kids are old enough to venture out without you. I feel like this ALL the time! I was even driven to write my own blog post about meningitis in students; my eldest daughter is an adult now but her health and well-being are still top priorities for me. On the other hand, I learnt a great deal in another post, this time by Madhouse Mum about the need to step back and give our children the space to become adults. I will try, I promise!

Yet raising teens is not just about the heavy stuff. JuggleMum steps in with some serious chilling and pampering that she enjoyed with her teen daughter – try doing that with a toddler! You, Me And The 6 Cs also reminds us of how this new relationship has its plus side. Tweens and teens are hilarious and can make you roar with laughter (when you are not simply roaring at them). And on that note, you will have to learn to laugh at yourself as they soon start to point out your weaknesses with, what can be, brutal honesty. The Best Dad I can Be recounts this perfectly in a fabulous post about what his son learnt about him on their adventure on the Penine Way. Remember, you are being analysed!

I think that will do for this month. If you have a post about teens or tweens that you would like considered for the next month please add it to the linky below or email me the link.  

About Sharon Parry

Sharon is a Mum to three fabulous tween and teen daughters. After leaving a scientific academic career to raise her family she discovered the world of writing which ultimately led to her launching her blog http://www.aftertheplayground.com in early 2016. As a veteran of the parenting scene, you’d think she’d know what she was doing by now. She doesn’t. Instead, she is gradually adjusting to parenting teens and adult children and will probably become an expert shortly after her youngest leaves home. She shares her experiences of defining this fascinating stage of motherhood (and of herself) on her blog and at @DrSharonParry1.

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