FRENCH: About Parenting Teens: Do You Ever Wish You Didn't Have Kids?

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From Denise Witmer, your Guide to Parenting Teens

Rethinking Parenting, Do You Ever Wish You Didn't Have Kids?

A parent on the forum wonders: Is it normal to have thoughts sometimes that having children was a big mistake? My kids are teenagers, successful in many ways, and naturally separating from their father and I. Sometimes the way they chose to assert their independence is so cruel. Both have said such horrible things to me in anger- global statements rejecting our family and my husband and I as parents and people. I imagine in time they will regret what they say, and perhaps they don't really mean the hateful comments ("this is the worst family ever", "no one in this family likes each other, we just pretend", "this is the most boring family, everyone makes fun of how horrible you all are as parents" , we will never get along, we are all just waiting to leave" etc..)

And the separation, it is so painful. I find myself thinking that if I had known it would hurt this bad I am not sure I would have had children. Does anyone else ever feel like this?

Denise's thoughts: There are times when I wish the pressure to figure out what to do and do what is 'right' by my kids or their sometimes bad behavior towards me and the worry gets to me. And I am one that will continue trying to 'fix' things - like when they say hurtful things to me - until I'm overwhelmed. Then I realize, that I've got a part in this problem and it's time to take some 'me time'.

It's helped me feel stronger through this natural separation process that is as much a part of parenting as teaching them to walk. (She types with tears in her eyes.) It is the hardest job ever, but no I haven't gotten to a point where I've regretted it.

Asking our parenting community: Do you ever feel this way? Please share your thoughts, experiences and opinions in the comments area.

Demi Lovato Has Announced She Suffers From Bipolar Disorder

Demi Lovato, a brave young actress, has announced that she suffers from bipolar disorder in People magazine. It is another effort on her part to bring awareness to the disorder so that other teens who may suffer from it can get help - just as she did with her eating disorder. In order to help with her effort, I'm including resources for parents of teens who may suffer or do suffer from bipolar disorder(links in post) and hope you all will share your advice in the comments area.

Money Saving Tips: Back Up Your Digital Items

Get your teen to back up their music, book and movie libraries, or they(you) could end up losing a ton of money. There seems to be a false security these days with all of our electronics. Teens especially have it, although I can't blame them as they often don't have the experiences of losing a hard drive or having their iPod stolen. But I can tell you that my oldest daughter is now 'in the know', unfortunately. Help your teen learn the good habit of backing up all of their digital items and they will save a lot of money if anything goes wrong.

Suicide Rate Goes Down for Gay and Lesbian Teenagers

According to a study reported in Pediatrics, gay and lesbian teens have a lower rate of suicide attempts in communities that support them. This support came through awareness or support groups at school or just a higher density of same sex couples in the community. This is good news - although it is still high at 20% of gay or lesbian teens in those areas reporting that they had attempted suicide at least once - hopefully as communities become more diverse, we will see less teen suicide due to differences in sexuality... read more.