Teenagers

Having teenagers can be quite trying for parents, ages ranging from 14 to 19 are very different phases and a new learning experience I am finding. I have a 14 year old and a 19 year old and I am learning new things from them every day. Both of my teenagers are boys, my youngest is 10 and she can be difficult in her own right.
The mood swings of the younger teen are coming more frequently and the sighs, grunts and eye rolls, as if I have never been a teenager myself nor have another one older than he is and have been there already, are coming more frequently. He finds everything I say dull and old fashioned and every request a personal insult to him and his attitude can go from excellent to that of a temperamental three year old in a matter of seconds. I understand that there are more challenges for teens now days and that there are expectations of them to learn to be quality young adults that put pressure one them, but being their parent is a challenge all in itself.
My older teen is teaching me there is a new parenting role that I am having to learn about, the young adult to adult relationship that sometimes feels very strong and positive and others quite frustrating as he can resort to that mentality of the 14 years old in a matter of moments. This can be quite aggravating when you are trying to treat the young man as an adult. These new times and new challenges in parenting teens can be quite frightful when you worry about drugs and gangs and violence that appears everyday in their lives and we can only hope that although sometimes difficult with their attitudes they are hearing something we are trying to teach them and will learn the values and morals we want to instill them to keep them away from the dangerous side of life. So far, a few little bumps in the road but for the most part my boys are good boys and are showing me they do have values that I want them to take into adulthood. This makes all the frustration worthwhile in the long run and allows me to sit back and ponder the pride I feel for the young men I'm watching grow.