Question
Hello! This is not exactly a child-rearing question but it pertains to everything about being a parent. How do we keep from drowning in the pain we witness our children going through? I have a 17,16, and 12 year old and there are so many growing pains to watch and endure. I seem to have more empathy than I can bear and it is overwhelming to watch some of their experiences: severe acne, fear, not getting asked to a dance, doing poorly in school, doing well in school but not being able to decide on a career, waiting on college acceptances/scholarships, not making the basketball team, not having the money to spend on the extra lessons they need for sports and such. It seems there is a constant barrage of negative things. Even when one child is experiencing success, there is another struggling. I am self-employed and work anywhere from part-time to full-time and so I have plenty to do on my own. I don’t ever remember feeling this overwhelmed in the past. Having two kids that are full-grown people in the house definitely makes it harder. Any suggestions? And, yes, I’m their mother. :-)
