Someone should create a support group for people raising a
teenager. How do I know this? I’m in the
throes of raising TWO, count them two teenage boys.
Oddly, I love teenagers. I teach them in church. I purposely
write books geared to their age. I do school visits and now I’m starting a teen
writing group in my home. I think
teenagers are smart and wonderful and full of possibility. However, due to teen
disease I-am-the-only-one-in-the-world-itis they can really drive you
crazy, especially when they live in your house.
For example, my son had four friends over to hang out the
other day. After they raided my freezer, left me a mountain of dishes and
yelled at the top of their lungs for several hours while playing video games my
son, while in the throes of a self-pitiful tantrum declared, “You don’t care
about me. You never do anything to help me!”
So what are the symptoms of
I-am-the-only-one-in-the-world-itis?
Here’s some I’ve observed: excessive whining, a complete inability to
pick up after themselves, a bedroom that looks like a tornado just went through.
They are sure everyone has a problem but them and most of, if asked to do
anything that doesn’t further their own cause, they are likely to writhe and regress
back to their toddler state.
The only solace I have and can pass on those of you who are
now, or will be someday raising teenagers is that this terrible disease will
eventually clear up on its own and the “what-should-I-do-with-the-rest-of-my-life
illness will come on in Young Adulthood.
Until then, I guess we’ll all just have to hang on for the ride and hope
the I-am-the-only-one-in-the-world-itis isn’t contagious. I’d hate to see my
ten year old come down with it early!
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