Gin, Teens, and a Laptop

Gin, Teens, and a Laptop

Life is full of fine lines. There are extra fine lines while raising teens. Tonight she's at a movie and I'm drinking Gin next door while I write a blogpost. I'm gonna call this a parenting win. 

Even in the midst of this parenting win I wonder, why is there no handbook for raising children? Why aren't support groups and parenting classes the norm? Why don't we all gather and talk shop more often? I think we need to.
 

Driving her to the late movie in the dark I stopped to pump gas. She's 14 and my mind starting wandering... "When do I teach her to pump gas?" "What else do I need to teach her before she moves out?" "What else do I need to learn from her before she moves out?"


Yesterday, a friend posted a link to an article about McDonalds automating their ordering and checkout to eliminate employees. The outrage was for the loss of jobs, especially for entry level workers like teens. I understand the outrage, but my evolving entrepreneur self says, "I love change, what's next? How can we get creative and serve the world and the people something better?"
 

I woke up this morning and my mind was swirling a mile a minute. Why aren't our schools teaching kids how to live? To work? To serve the world.... Why aren't teens leaving public high school knowing exactly how to get a job and why it's so important to learn how to be an engaged worker. Entrepreneur track or employee track, we need both. 

Why aren't we teaching our teens more about how to live well and less about how to rack up debt in college studying things they aren't that in to? Just like I want a checklist for parenting, I want our schools to have a checklist for educating: learn to pay bills on a budget, learn to rake lawns, learn to search for jobs, learn to keep learning... learn to be in a relationship, learn to mentor children, learn to question authority... there's so much to learn that doesn't come in a book or a test or a portfolio. 

Here I am, drinking gin with my laptop while my teen eats popcorn in front of Mama Mia 2. What will I teach her on the drive home? What will I learn from her tomorrow? What's my checklist, or is winging it really the way through?

 

BeingMom Amanda.png

Believing in YOU,

Signature.png

p.s. Thank for the AMAZING drink Magpie

For those who like to listen,


I read to you so you can multi-task:
laundry, driving, lunch, or just plain chilling...

Amanda Star Kingsley
Act Before It's Too Late

Act Before It's Too Late

Choosing our Feelings

Choosing our Feelings

0