I decided on this hashtag a camillion (add to dictionary) years ago when I learned about the frontal lobe and the lack thereof in kids. Watching my kids make poor choices not only caused me to question my abilities as a mom, but I wished I could just take over their brains for a couple of years until their were done. Picture me shaking one of my kids by the shoulders and pleading with them to not be stupid. Raising kids is hard, but raising teens is another animal. A hormonal animal that loves you one second and hates you the next, this animal wants to be with his friends 24/7 but still wants you to make him breakfast. She makes no sense, has attitude to spare, eats all of your food but doesn’t like any of it, breaks rules, complains, and wants to paint her room black.

I still remember an interview with Katie Couric a few years ago. I can’t even remember why she was being interviewed, a book maybe. Anyway she said something that hit me to my core. She said that the saddest people in the world are mothers of teen daughters. Truth bomb if there ever was one. Uh, had she just been at my house?! How did she know me so well? It’s like parents of teens are too tired, sad or stressed to actually come out and say it. “I’m a mess, I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m giving up, pass me that party sized chocolate bar”.