” A teenager is always too tired to hold a dishcloth, but never too tired to hold a phone.”

The other day I saw a message on my daughters phone “I love you more than that.” , enough to shake me to the core … barely thirteen was that some kind of joke. I freaked out, found out the source and took steps that a normal parent would take to keep their kids safe. But amidst all the drama of interrogation, back talking, retaliation and tears I realized one thing.

As parents we want to be protective , we have their best interests in mind , but to a teenagers brain which is not fully developed our every action may seem too strict , unfair taking them away from their friends and peers .

After all everyone spends maximum time on Instagram, texting or liking every hour perhaps every minute, girls are looking for avenues away from home and guys are looking for easy solutions.

In such a frenzied world full of chaos, how do I explain to my daughter that everything that sparkles is not gold , life is not what happens on the screens of iPhones , attraction is not real love and constant texting may lead to a medical condition called “text neck” which may cause the distortion of necks natural curve due to constantly holding it in a downward angle.

Teen hues

You see glamour in shiny cars , trendy clothes

Love an unchanging withered oak too

You see fashion in ripped jeans ,shorter clothes

Love an old fashioned eternal style too

You spend time texting , liking , posting

Love an handwritten poem too

You may want to be popular and famous

Love the monk who is neither, yet so peaceful and pious

You crave to be an adult unchained , free

Love the bud , because when it blooms it is expected to nectar the birds too

Good Reads:

1. Year of wonder – Clemency Burton Hill

2. Forest bathing retreat – Hannah Fries