One of the toughest parenting tasks is to get your kids to do their chores.  Let’s face it; for most kids, chores are just not on their radar.  A ten year old just doesn’t see taking out the trash as a priority.  And it gets even harder with teenagers.

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How would you define what a father means to you?

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At the 2013 Tennessee School Counselors and Administrators Institute I attended, there was much talk about bully prevention programs. The school where I work has such a program, and we have been utilizing it now for almost a full school year. The problem is, I’m not sure if the problem of bullying over the years has gotten better — or worse.

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“This summer is going to be different!”

“You say that every year,” said my husband from behind his laptop.

“Yeah, but this year I mean it!”

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Your adolescent son or daughter disappears down the hall punching the wall and slamming their bedroom door.  You’re Tween just grunts and walks away, or your younger child has a complete temper tantrum every time you say “no.”  Parenting a child who seems to have ”anger overload,” — and who doesn’t want to talk, problem solve, or communicate in any way – can feel hopeless.  Their rage, their lashing-out behavior, their indifference, and their melt downs leave you shell shocked.  You wonder, “If I can’t communicate with my child, how are we supposed to ever resolve anything?”

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My story is wrought with lonely pieces; shards of glass that wound deep within.  A life changed forever, in the blink of an eye.  I realize that many parents live this same life, constantly hurting and always wondering what they could have done differently.  Our reality is unique, abruptly altered by the tragedy of extreme circumstances.  What once worked to rear our children, to love or to discipline our children, is now, for a time, inexplicably useless.  Just as our world has been turned upside down, our children’s lives are twisted and formed into unknown entities that no one understands easily how to navigate.  And it feels as though no one, absolutely no one, can comprehend how difficult life truly becomes.

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I should be thankful that E’s hearing is so good that he is able to pick up our grown-up conversations. However, we’ve reached a point where we have to almost whisper in each other’s ear or come up with code words. This is because E has become really nosy all of a sudden.

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Editor’s Note: Today’s guest blog post comes from Adrian at Adrian’s Crazy Life, where she blogs about parenting, decluttering, finances and is “always going 90 miles with her hair on fire, and loving every minute of it.” Adrian has three sons, ages 30, 22 and 13.

Raising three boys can be exhausting, particularly when your kids are always arguing, fighting, and seem to be intent on just driving each other crazy.  It’s hard on the parents, it’s hard on the furniture, and it’s definitely hard on the kids, too.

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