How to make up with a teenager - Day 2 of 30 day writing challenge

30-Day writing challenge through Kale & Cigarettes (500 words)

The best way to make up with a teenage girl is to just give her back her electronics and not care if she is watching the Vampire Diaries instead of doing homework. At least she ripped pages out of the Twilight book earlier today in her boredom, so we have a clue. Vampires. That is probably the whole issue. I remember when I was fascinated by them myself.

you really do know nothing

A lesson in parenting is to just agree that you really and truly know nothing. It feels good to just give in and admit it. It's like the Beginner's Mind I try to practice in yoga and meditation. It sure makes it easier knowing that I don't have to get stressed about knowing something to pass along, and I can instead just hang out on the couch and drink wine. She already knows the ways of the world and I clearly don't, even though I've traveled the world—and even used to like vampires too. Still, I know nothing.

During our daylong argument, I realized that I actually have a great hiding spot this time. Finally. Usually I think I finally have them, and wake to no text or no verbal commentary at all, but the hidden item is magically no longer hidden in my spot. Yesterday I had a great idea to rent a chainsaw and cut out a hole in a tree in the woods behind my house for the next hiding spot. Now that I'm typing it here though, that idea won't work, although no one goes back there because we are all convinced it's covered in poison oak.

One interesting point to make about today is that my cats were just hanging out with us as usual, not hiding or wondering. This must mean that to them, we were the same as usual. I guess that means they could still feel the love underneath the conflicting sentences.

burn it in the fire... it's martial arts

We had a great cooking lesson too. I was actually heard this time after the stove smoke was thick enough to alarm me,which was similiar to the smoke I witnessed earlier today as I watched her burn pages of her Twilight book in the bbq grill. I kept telling myself that it's a Martial Arts technique to write a letter on paper to the person who frustrates you most and then burn it in the fireplace. This points back to the vampires again. But it also shows my calm in a situation. Although the truth is that I was finding it necessary to practice my deep breathing techniques and making myself do yoga from a vantage point to watch her every move. I kept telling myself that I should probably do martial arts right now, but mostly that I'm a cool mom.

And now she is back in her room with her electronics. I don't dare walk in on her to see what she's up to. I'd rather just imagine it and rework my morning tomorrow so that I stay in the car waiting for her to drive her to school instead of coming down to her room to ask her why it takes 1 hour to do her hair and her makeup. That was my big mistake. Don't ask questions in the morning; just drive and turn up the music.