Cellphones, Emails and Parties – oh my!

I quit. I have decided that I will pass on the parenting now that my kids are becoming teenagers. I was delusional enough to think that having been a teenager myself then I would be well prepared. Even if I CAN handle it, I am not so sure I want to handle it.

The crush of craziness has missed our family thus far. Our boys do not get on the internet very much, so the Facebook and MySpace craze has been averted. Getting a cell phone will have to wait until they are old enough to sign a contract.

Almost.

We do have that spare phone that I let them carry “in case of emergency.” I made the mistake of telling them the number to that phone. Tonight on the way home, that phone kept buzzing. I know that buzzing noise, my own phone makes it now and then. My sons were receiving text messages.

Ugh!

How do you parents of teens do it? No wonder cell phone plans include unlimited texting. In the 8 mile ride to our home, there were at least four of those distinct buzzes. My mind was racing around trying to figure out what to do with these teens sitting behind me. I do NOT want to pay for texting, but I also want them to be able to connect and grow and blossom and all of that jazz.

So, I decided to quit. I am seriously thinking about trading a couple of teens for some tweens. I do better with sports and camping than I do with the thought of emails and texting.

Any takers?