We have found Years 9 and 12 to be the most difficult. These two years have been incredibly difficult with snobby girls, friendship breakups, and boys because I have a daughter who is both a high achiever and very sensitive. I was powerless because you never want to see your child sad, upset, or brokenhearted. All I wanted to do was give my daughter a big embrace and reassure her that all will soon be over so that we could joke about the challenging times. With a lot of patience and lots of chocolate, we made it through the difficult moments.
When they were young, I always believed that leaving them to go to work was incredibly difficult to balance parenting and job. But I quickly understood that as long as they felt safe and loved, it didn’t matter who was watching over them! In fact, I discovered that they truly needed me when they entered year 3 and began to enter puberty. being present after school to help, listen, and generally just be. This made it the toughest for me to go to work at this time. additionally at my daughter’s HSC. “Mum, you’d better not take any away jobs while I’m finishing the HSC,” were her precise words. You’re needed here. Particularly for teenage ladies, social media has not been a good thing.
It’s common to feel the need to blend in, to be liked, to be popular, or to appear a certain way. Don’t follow anybody who makes you feel anxious or self-conscious, I always tell my kid. Don’t worry about other people’s likes and comments, and hide posts that make you feel left out. Although it’s challenging, I do my best to monitor and observe anything she posts on social media!
