Math Equation below:
12 yr. old girl
+ rapidly approaching puberty
+ emotions
+ relationship dynamics at school
X
wisdom
- experience
- season of life=
____________________________________
ANSWER: The World of 6th grade in 2007!!!!!
Directions for solving above equation:
Must be done in this order ( remember the FOIL method from Algebra?) or equation will end up with a different answer than you are striving for......
1) Pray
2) Listen intently to the lengthy, detailed conversations about her school day. (Where does she get that from?? Must be her father.)
3) Be grateful she is a "talker."
4) Hold her if she cries over something hurtful during her day. Try not to cry with her, remembering too well how difficult those days were for you.....not to mention those hideous pictures in the Jr. High yearbooks to prove it. Now, that's something to cry about!!!!
5) Resist the urge to "fix it" for her. (i.e. Lunch room or impromptu playground visits not allowed.)
6)Give her wisdom she can understand. Not too wordy, or you will lose her after first 5 min.
7)Pray again.
8) Read a good book together (like Nancy Rue's Girl Politics) which will help walk you through the "stuff" of girls and 6th grade.
Want to join me in my prayer time this morning? Here goes:
Thank you, God!!!! Father, You knew I was struggling with how to guide my daughter (your child) through the beginnings of this difficult season in her life (BTW God, why does adolescence have to last so long?? Let's make a deal....How about 5 years instead of say, 10? What do You think?) This book You have permitted me to "stumble upon" (much of what I feel like I am doing through parenting....stumbling), is an absolute gift!!! Your timing, God, couldn't have been better. This book speaks to everything we have been discussing together as this 6th grade school year unfolds. And more importantly, it is written specifically for a preteen audience, in her language, and I am just there to read it with her. I have prayed for wisdom and will continue to do so. Thanks for giving me this nugget of wisdom right now. I am so grateful!!
Side note: I know this book won't apply to everyone in my blog "audience." Sorry to bore you with that. But if you are the mom of a daughter who is not a preteen yet, put this book in your parenting arsenal for future use. It is THAT good!
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