Why is parenting a tween so exhausting

Parenting should seem easy as kids grow up. Tweens are more likely to be more independent in this stage of their life than they were when they were babies. Gone are the days when they used to throw tantrums and stay up all night just to make sure they were asleep. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Parenting a tween is so exhausting on thee other hand.

Kids as tweens are very funny and adorable at first but the tricky part comes when they are expected to do chores and work
around the house. Some eye-rolling, talking under their breath whenever they are asked to pick up the towel from the bed or anything else. Tween is a very surprising age that even the parents can predict what can come next.

Getting tired in a different way

In the early stages of parenting when the child is a baby or a toddler it seems pretty tiring to take care of a human being who is incapable of taking care of themselves. That kind of tiring is physical. As the kids grow into tweens the tiring is more of a mental one. Kids are more likely to take care of themselves on a basic level but they come with their problems
regarding social issues, their physical and emotional changes. All of this is enough to keep the parents worried all night. Parents will get the chance to lie down and have a rest but their minds will never be empty of all the thoughts revolving around their kids.

When tweens feel more, the parents feel more too

Tantrum throwing toddlers and crying babies but to be honest they were much easier to manage. Crying and screaming were one of the ways where the child can express their true feelings . Tweens on the other hand are less likely to share their feelings as they distance themselves from their parents. When they used to come running into the arms crying it felt like problems could be fixed. But for tweens who very much bottle up their feelings and suffer alone is not a very pleasant sight for their parents to see.

Managing things for busy tweens

Parents are not alone if they find parenting a tween exhausting. Tweens’ life at this stage gets busy but it also keeps their parents on their feet. At times it does feel there is so much to do when it comes to managing things .

The ‘perfect storm’

Hitting puberty can cause a lot of changes in the tweens. Physically, mentally and emotionally. There are often times when the kids feel like going back to being much younger again. These changes can cause mood swings and they may seem defiant to the parents. This is the age where it seems the parents are doing a good job but the very next moment,
they seem to fail miserably at it.

Preparing the tweens

As the tweens become independent , it is really hard for the parents to just let them go . Parents try every effort to prepare them for the world before they grow out of their nurturing phase.

Conclusion

Parenting a tween is a rollercoaster ride. As they say about parenting,” nothing else in life gets both easier and harder at the same time.” . For every eye roll and door slam, there is a moment of loveliness that
makes the parent proud of the child they gave birth to. So it is ok to feel exhausted as it is part of growing up both for the tween and the parents.

I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

Do read my previous article in these series of : “Parenting TweenS”

A: A transformative age called tweens

B: Parenting Tweens: A Balancing Act

C: Connecting with tweens :Emotionally and Physically