three teens hanging out

Photo by  RAZmom88

It's hard enough raising one teen -- but three?! Welcome to RAZmom88's wild and wonderful life this week.

Valentine's Day

Ryan, 19, took Brittany, his girlfriend of three years, to stay overnight in some fancy dancy motel. This went over like a ton of bricks with her parents, who just happen to be good friends of my husband and I. So a "meeting" has been planned for all of us next weekend while our children are home from college.

Ryan knows how we feel about premarital sex,  but he also know that as an adult, it is his choice.  He also knows our rule at home: Unmarried couples cannot sleep together in our house. Not even if they live together elsewhere. We are firm on this. Brittany's parents know that they have been sexually active for over a year now, and that she is on birth control.

Hickeys

Andrea, 18, who has no boyfriend at this time, went to the Snow Coming dance solo. But her "boyfriend" from last year, who has already graduated, keeps calling, texting and contacting her on Facebook. They still see each other in the church youth group. I secretly think he is the boy for her. I am really trying to keep my mouth shut and let them work it out. I don't even know why they broke up. She says she isn't ready for that kind of commitment at this time. When I ask what that means, she rolls her eyes and grunts.

Zack 15, who I believe is girlfriend-less, or at least he was on Saturday when he attended the Snow Coming, reported that the dance was lame. The next day, he went to the movies with a group of friends, and returned home with not one but six hickeys on his neck.

He says "she" is not his girlfriend yet, but he is working on it. I just do not know what to do with this kid. I'm going to have heart failure yet. He wants to talk to me about it, he says doesn't want me upset, and he doesn't want me disappointed. He must really think I am naive. I know he just doesn't want to be grounded.

I am not falling for the whole "I have learned by lesson, this is my third trip around being a mom to a teen" thing. If I could tie him to his bed for the next three years I would. Why does he have to be so darn cute?

Everyone has disappointment, anxiety and rocky times in their life. Even though these crazy things happen to my family, I try to remember how important each one of them is and how all these experiences help to shape them into the people they will be some day. And I remember two weeks ago to his car accident and I thank God that he's allowed me to have my son here to ground for hickeys.

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Is your teen open with you about his sexual relationship with his boyfriend or girlfriend? Are  you glad or would you rather not know?


In last week's episode ...

Getting Kids to Talk

The Accident

Jilted Stepchildren

No Chores for My Kids

Driving Tests, Borrowing the Car

Dating Older Women

My Son Smoked Pot

Laptops and Lung Cancer

Too Young for Love?

Abusive Homes, Faith

Shopping and Sleeping Arrangements

Sports and Vampires

Fighting Siblings

Competing Brothers

Teen Drinking?

Meet the Kids