Teenagers! Arggg!

So today my very pretty fifteen year old had her lip pierced! Of course she went to a shop where I had to give my consent. Crazy parent? Maybe, but here I am with this great kid who tells me everything and actually comes to me with all the crazy questions a teenager has, and so what do I do when she asks if she can mutilate her body? I say yes. *sigh* And so here is where I justify my actions, to myself, to her and hopefully purge my soul through a blog...LMAO sorry couldn't keep a straight face on that one! Oh ya and God help me when MY parents see it!

A friend told me today that raising a teenager brings out the hypocrite in all of us and I tend to agree. At fifteen I had a mohawk, piercings, leather mini skirts...the whole bit and yet I beg her not to do the same? When I look back, I wouldn't change any part of my adolescents. I am grateful to be alive with all the crazy shit we pulled, but I wouldn't change it because it helped make me who I am. She has friends who pierce body parts in basements and end up with horrible infections because their strict Mormon parents won't allow them to get piercings. Face it teenagers will end up doing whatever they want, regardless of what we want!

See to me, it is like telling kids not to have sex and then not educating them or providing them protection from STDs and then these stupid parents are surprised when they have pregnant teenagers with venereal diseases! I managed a blood bank and believe me there is nothing beautiful about telling an 18 year old they have AIDS! I would rather have her be honest with me and not scared to talk to me. And yes I would hand her a box of condoms rather than raise her baby! I have morals and she knows where I stand, but I refuse to be naive and hide from this new world we are raising our kids in. Arm them, don't tie their hands.