Came back to bite me

So for all you young moms out there, consider yourself warned. All those things you “thought” you got away with back when you were a kid? Ya, it comes back! In some form or fashion, I’m getting repaid for all my poor decisions, and we’re not even out of high school yet. I haven’t forgotten all the fast ones I pulled in high school and now that I’m older and wiser, shake my head out how I got away with some of it and didn’t end up dead in a ditch. But I have convinced myself for years that my girls will never get away with anything, because I’ve already been there, done that. I’ve had full confidence in the fact that I know all the tricks and lies that are out there, and it’d be a cold day before they ever pulled the wool over my eyes.

Well, the more time goes on, the more my confidence is shot all to pieces. I’m getting fooled all the darn time and I’m falling for all of it like an idiot, just like I insisted I wouldn’t. And I’m beginning to wonder if I even know half of it. Anyway, last week I got fooled again. I mean totally and utterly buffaloed, bamboozled, whatever you wanna call it. And when I found out the truth, I was dumbfounded and heartbroken. How could she do that to me? We have a good relationship and can talk about anything. Why would she tell me one thing and do another? I’m not that mean parent that nags all the time or is super strict. I couldn’t understand it at all and really upset me.

But when Hubby and I sat her down to “harshly” discuss the consequences of my daughter’s choices, I hit me, this was all MY fault! I sat silently, processing my guilty discovery, while her dad gave her the once-over. Then when it was my turn and I had to turn the switch back to being upset and explained how badly she disappointed me and all that jazz, but all the while, I was filing through my memory’s Rolodex recollecting all the times I did the EXACT same thing and never got caught. Hubby kept asking her over and over, why, why, why and when she replied with, “I don’t know,” I totally understood her! I didn’t know why I did that stupid stuff either but I did. I just got away with it. Well … until now.

Basically, after 25 years of thinking I got away with things, scot free, I am just now getting repaid. All along this parenting journey, I stupidly thought, well if I raised them this way or that, they wouldn’t pull the same stunts as me. And like I said before, I’ve been done there done that, so how could they possibly tell a lie I haven’t told or sneak and do this or that, that I haven’t done? All those theories…..big WRONGO!

A couple things have become pretty apparent during this unfortunate situation. One, I need to quit believing everything my teenagers say and two, I owe my mom a big, fat apology! So, like I said, all you young moms, this is a warning, that when your kids are teenagers, a reflection of your past actions may come to bite ya!