I say what I mean and I mean what I say.

You have to adapt this motto when raising a teenager! Yesterday, she went roller skating from 7:30 to 1:00 am, as she says, "roller skating is my life". Today, she wants to go again, after I already told her when I picked her up last night, that her cousin was coming over and not to ask me to take her roller skating. Of course she asked. She did plenty more than ask. She pleaded, cried, screamed, threw things, slammed her door, banged on her door, said she hated me, said I ruin all her fun. Excuse me, I make your fun happen. I didn't say that but maybe I should have. It's OK, I remember myself at her age and I know where she gets it from. One difference though, I got away with my behavior. She doesn't. What was her punishment? A half-hour in her room. Sounds like she got away with it - huh? Some may say, I should have slapped the shit out of her, maybe kept her in her room all night? She is beginning to understand that...I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I'm learning right along with her. Hopefully, she learns a lot sooner than I. I suppose some would call me an unconventional mother or a 'bad' mother or an unknowledgeable one. It's OK, they aren't in my shoes. It's easy to judge. Too experience is a whole other story. One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is this...No situation or person causes you to feel any way. You are the only one in control of your feeling's (to apostrophe or not to apostrophe, that is the question...lol). No one else controls them nor can you control anothers feeling's. Feelings are idiosyncratic. If nothing more, I hope to teach her emotional intelligence. I'm happy with our relationship, she tells me everything, I tell her everything. She is my angel who disguises herself as a devil at times. I wouldn't trade her for anything and everything happens for a reason.