Ever feel like your children just don't care? 

Sometimes I find myself feeling unappreciated. Like all I do is taken for granted. Sometimes I'm left with a why bother attitude? No one cares anyway. Can you relate? Well I finally had my A Ha moment. Yes it's taken quite awhile but this is what I've learned.

Before you have children, you have all these, thoughts, hopes and dreams, for what it will be like when you do have children. Even if you don't think you do, trust me you do. You see other parents and think oh, my kid won't do this or that, or the opposite, my kids will be well behaved like so and so. I'm going to be such a better mom then my own was to me.

Then reality hits, you have some children of your own, and somedays you think, wow, this is really what parenting is about? Let me tell you, parenting is a thankless job at times. It's hard work to raise children, especially today. Between all the movies, tv, FB, music, texting etc, it's a whole new world of trouble! Think about it this way, why do we expect gratitude from our children anyway? We are setting limits, rules, boundaries, and teaching them how to behave in general. They just want to be free, don't we all? But it's our job as parents to teach and guide them. How will they know right from wrong, and how to be thankful if we don't teach them? It's not our children's job to make us feel better about life, and how we parent. We are the parents, we are the responsible adult here. From what I hear thanks come later, and grandchildren are our blessing from enduring our children! LOL

Even my oldest, she's going to be 20 and she is out there finding her way. She's not doing it how I thought, or wanted. To be honest it's driving me crazy! We were talking the other day and she said to me, mom, it's not about you. You were a great mom, I enjoyed my childhood but I just want to live MY life My way. It was good to hear. I need to FULLY let go, and when and if she needs me, I will be there for her.

As parents we need to give ourselves a break. I feel like people expect too much from kids. They are loud, annoying and sometimes not appropriate. Lighten up, laugh with them. Enjoy them. Try and understand what they are going through. Sometimes they will be jerks, and you know what? It's ok, because we are doing our jobs as parents and teaching them how to be a responsible adult.