Parenting Teenagers (12-18) Support Group
This community is focused on the joys, challenges and concerns faced by parents of teenagers (12 to 18 year olds). The major areas of child development include: physical development, perception and sensory development, communication and language development, cognitive development, emotional development and social development.
Hello everyone,
I am new here but could really use some help.I am parenting our 16 yr old granddaughter and it can really get trying at times. Unfortunately its been really tough for her and us.
Let me give you a short version of our story. Her mom and dad have both been incarcerated her father has gotten released but after promising her the moon, has pretty well washed his hands of her, He stepfather who helped raise her has basically done the same. Her mother is still in jail.
She moved in with her other grandmother at the beginning. but it didn't work out, as she was allowed to do as she pleased and was starting to drink and smoke weed. She had at least one experience with another drug. We stepped in and took her over in January of last year against her wishes. We got her started in school (she is a very good A student) and things were starting to turn around til the pandemic hit. Now she is here with no local friends. We have tried everything to keep her happy and occupied but it is almost impossible. She wants to go back were she came from to visit her friends there, which I don't have a problem with, but what I do have a problem with is her make the 4 hour round trip on her own in the car. Given the circumstances is that being to harsh? I have checked out the friends she is wanting to visit. I don't have a problem with them. But I know the area she is traveling in is the same area she found trouble before. I feel giving her free reigns with the car will open her up for trouble.
She is also wanting to go to the county races with her friend which scares me because of the Covid risk. My specialist says she would be fine but I might not make it through a bout with Covid due to my age and pre existing conditions. Are there any answers to our situation? Any way of us making this work.
Thank you in advance
Welcome to the group. Taking on a teen can be tough. Is it possible that you, or another trusted friend/family member could drive her back there? Under what circumstances would your specialist feel comfortable with her going to the county races? If she wears a mask the whole time? If she adds gloves and a face shield? Could she go, but need to stay a couple weeks with a friend's family under their parents supervision to make sure she's not infected? Or, just not at all? Could she go to visit her friends, but maybe just not go at the time they are having the county races (whatever that is)?
I hope you find a solution that works for all of you. There's no 100% accurate way to be sure she won't be exposed.
It is very impressive that despite the challenges in her life, she is getting A's.