Sue Ellen

Sue Ellen Jackson

Parents Corner

Dear Sue Ellen

I have spent the last 17 years raising my daughter and she is acting like she can’t get away from me fast enough. I have given her everything she ever wanted and she never shows gratitude. She ignores me except when she wants something from me. It’s all about her and what she wants. I have dedicated my whole life to raising her and she has turned out to be a very selfish girl. Is this a phase she will grow out of? She was so sweet when she was a little girl. I want my sweet girl back.
A.J.

Dear A.J.
You know what birds teach us about raising kids, right? When it is time for the baby bird to fly, the mama nudges them out of the nest. When it is time for our babies to fly away it is usually a little more complicated. Some parents look forward to the day their kids leave home while others struggle with it. Either way, it is a big life change. It is our job as parents to prepare our children for the day they will become independent. Our children go from being totally dependent to independent in 18 short years. That is a drastic change in a relatively short amount of time.
Have you ever seen those old people that shake their heads at the next generation coming up and repeat themselves about how things were better when they were young?
I am trying not to be one of those old people, but really….kids today don’t seem to have a clue. Your daughter isn’t the only young person of her generation that thinks the world revolves around her. There is a sense of entitlement among our young people today like I’ve never seen before.
I think parents are trying to protect their children from a rapidly changing world that isn’t always safe. They have been so focused on trying to give their children everything they wanted, they forget to give them what they need. Kids need to be toughened up so they can face life. It is hard on a lot of parents to NOT give their kids everything they want. The world doesn’t get handed to most of us on a silver platter. Your daughter will learn that soon enough. Be patient with her. She is getting ready to fly away. She will still be your daughter and hopefully time and life will soften her back up and you will see the sweet girl she was again.
Here is the big question for you. What are you going to do with yourself when your daughter leaves home? It is time for you to start planning your next life adventure.
Please email your parenting questions to sejackson@awarecentraltexas.org and put “Parent’s Corner” in the Subject line.