Exhausted

I recently read that parenting teens is mentally exhausting while parenting preschoolers is physically exhausting. I concur. I am wiped out and run down. "Let me process that and get back to you" has become my response to quite a bit lately as I can no longer think as quickly on my feet. Although I likely forget half of what I am supposed to be processing! I used to say I lost brain cells with placentas as an excuse but I honestly believe it's the constant parenting wearing me down. It is always something. Always. 

Last night I had two back-to-back appointments. On the way home from the first, the van broke down. We are now juggling another repair with our already stretched schedule and budget. That second appointment was not something I was looking forward to and spent hours in prayer before arriving, afraid the broken down van was setting a stressful tone. Another momma and I met to discuss our teens' relationship. She was gracious and gentle. I was kind and firm. Together we acknowledged our child's role in the destruction and how we could work together to enable them to either turn this into something healthy or walk away without further drama. The meeting was good. We both entered with fear of being cruel but also wanting to be honest. It's never easy to hear your child is making poor choices nor is it enjoyable to tell another mother the hard truth you know about hers. I regret calling him a toad on this blog. He is someone's son. He has a mother who wants to raise an upstanding young man and is holding him accountable for his decisions. I judged unfairly and left the meeting relieved. I would typically empower my kids to work out their own problems but things were so far out of control, both of our families were negatively impacted. I am grateful we are on the same page; saddened by the same issues and concerned for our child's character.