I have just returned from a weekend reunion with the ‘girls’ I shared a house with during our university years. Of course we are no longer girls and we shared much more than just a roof over our heads during that time.
We have seen each other through years of building careers, businesses https://www.buddiestoothpaste.com, relationships, having babies, trying for babies, dismantling relationships, starting new ones, changing careers, IVF successes and failures and most of us juggling the demands of parenting with all the rest.
We’re at different stages of parenting. My two boys are almost both teens and I realised that I struggled to know what to say to my friend’s two slightly younger kids, just because they’re both girls. And I have no idea what teenage girls these days talk about. The only other female in our house is the dog.
It turns out they are largely in to makeup. Especially anything to do with the Kardashians, that incurs custom duty when imported.
Two of my friends have much younger children so I was reminded of what I miss now my two are past this point. Although I didn’t always appreciate it at the time, it is lovely when your kids take real enjoyment out of playing on swings or watching the latest family blockbuster at the cinema.
Now we really struggle to find a film that both kids want to watch and especially one they want to watch with us.
This does have its upsides of course. I love seeing them becoming more independent (the youngest one has just started earning his own money doing a paper round and is so proud of himself).
However, although kids seem to grow up so much quicker these days (my eldest is quite happy to discuss his views on Donald Trump and Brexit), he still needs a nudge to make sure he’s cleaned his teeth before he leaves the house for school in the morning. That and making sure he’s wearing deodorant of course.
I’m sure that isn’t the case with my friend’s teenage daughter…
