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Dear Mom, You’re Not the Only One

moms lonely

Being a mom of a teen can feel lonely and isolating. We manage hard things as our kids grow older and face new challenges and difficult decisions every day.

It’s no easy ride for our teens as they try to figure out who they are and where they fit into this expanding world they are trying so hard to navigate.

We vacillate between wanting to take the wheel and steer it for them and letting go while anxiously watching them drive off on their own.

Our teens are under so much pressure these days and that often means we feel it too. They have so much to worry about, which means we worry too.

Our teens are so vulnerable to making careless decisions that might change the trajectory of their lives, and we are constantly hoping and praying they do the right thing.

There are countless choices they make on their own every day and letting them go out into the world is the scariest and most stressful thing we are forced to do.

We try as hard as we can to guide our teens through their struggles and help them manage life’s obstacles that sometimes lead them down roads we’d rather not travel, taking sharp turns we didn’t predict. Raising a teen is H.A.R.D.

We often don’t feel comfortable sharing what’s going on with our teens because our kids need our trust and they don’t want us to tell anyone what they are going through.

So much of the madness and mistakes remain behind the scenes because we might feel ashamed about the situation our teens are in or we feel like we are failing at parenting our precious kids who are difficult to raise.

We are all so darn busy with their relentless schedules, we might just be drowning in it all and simply too exhausted to reach out for help, anyway.

It sometimes feels like we are captive in this place of parenting, unable to get the support we so desperately need, whether our kids are braving through hard times or shining through triumphant accomplishments. As much as we need the encouragement when we feel defeated or the praise when we feel proud, we rarely get it. 

It’s a lonely life parenting teens.

But remember there are other parents of teens out there just like you.

You’re not the only one.

You may feel like you are, but you’re not.

You’re not the only one who questions your parenting and constantly wonders if you’re too strict or too lenient.

You’re not the only one who tries so hard to love your teen when they are reckless or careless or irresponsible or rebellious.

You’re not the only one who loses your temper when your kids don’t listen.

You’re not the only one who worries if your kid is lonely, depressed, or too stressed out.

You’re not the only one who fears you are not preparing your kids for their future.

You’re not the only one who struggles to understand why they do what they do.

You’re not the only one who wants more than anything to save your child from awful situations.

You’re not the only one who wants to intervene on your kid’s behalf, but you know they need to figure it out on their own.

You’re not the only one who wonders if your teen is making good decisions when you’re not with them.

You’re not the only one who grieves the loss of those innocent childhood years.

You’re not the only one who gets utterly irritated with the messes they leave behind Every. Single. Day.

You’re not the only one who is exhausted with keeping up with their schedules.

You’re not the only one who is trying not to push too hard or give in too much.

You’re not the only one who is tired of their mood swings.

You’re not the only one who is terrified of all the countless things that could go wrong.

You’re not the only one who stays up all night hoping and praying your teen is okay.

You’re not the only one who sometimes feels like you’re failing at parenting.

You’re not the only one who wishes things would be different, easier, less complicated.

You’re not the only one who compares your kid with other kids, your parenting with other parents.

You’re not the only one who had no idea how busy you’d be with your teens.

You’re not the only one who feels like you’re failing when you help them too much.

You’re not the only one who second-guesses the decisions you make.

You’re not the only one who gets fed up with e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

You’re not the only one who wants to share how incredibly proud you are of your kid, but you don’t want to brag or make other parents feel bad. And your kid won’t let you, anyway.

You’re not the only one who is trying so hard to do this whole parenting thing right.

You’re not the only one who feels like you’re carrying the weight of it all and sometimes it’s just too much to bear…

You’re not the only one who is exhausted from this overwhelming season of parenting.

You may feel like you’re the only one, but every other parent out there is feeling the same things.

So, please know you’re not alone even though you might feel like you are.

From one mom of teens to another-

You’re not the only one.

Moms, know there is a place for you if you are feeling this way. PLEASE check out our inner circle where you can be with moms just like you.

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4 Comments

  1. This describes every emotion I’m feeling raising a teenage boy. Deep down I know “I’m not the only one”, but sometimes I feel like I am.

    1. Kris – I am so with you and it is not easy to watch them grow up! We are not alone – we are on this journey together. I’d love for you to check out our Inner Circle if you’re interested. It is a great group of moms and there is so much shared there. xoSheryl

  2. The thoughts you’ve penned down are somehow very comforting, at times we feel that we’re the only ones going through this stage and our kids are a special case altogether 😛 but every child in the same generation experiences almost the same scenario. We just have to be patient and guide them into being Good human beings 🙂 and not question our parenting cause our children turn out to be a version of us to a large extent.

    1. I so agree Sophie that we have to be patient – with them and ourselves because we are all learning and it is such a process. I’m so glad that you found these words comforting. It’s so important to know that we’re not alone!xoSheryl

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