Parents of Teens, You Are NOT Their Friend. Step Up & Be Their Parent

     Let me start by saying that I am not the mother of a teenager.  Not yet anyway.  However, I have several friends who are parents to teens and oh baby, I am not sure if I am ready for that part of parenting. I still have 4 years until my son is "officially" a teen so I guess it is time to start prepping both of us for those teenage years.
     I know some of you are probably wondering how can you "prep" for the teenage years?  I would think that you can prep for it just as you would anything else.  I have read some blogs written by mothers of tweens and teens and when I read a blog about how disrespectful the child was, I want to leave a comment saying, "And they lived to tell the story?"  Although I have a very different parenting style than my mother, we are very alike in that we will NOT tolerate disrespect of a child.  How are you going to disrespect me, the person who is feeding, clothing and providing shelter for you?  The person who makes sure that you have all the things that a child could want and need.  OH NO!  NOT UP IN HERE!  You need to "prep" your child be putting some fear of you into their butts!
     Now I know that some of my followers will gasp and cover their mouths when they read what I am about to write and that's okay.  However, you run your house and raise your children the way that you want to but while your are sending your child to the corner in a "time out" for being disrespectful, I will be doing something much different.  You figure it out.  Although if you raise a child to honor their elders and those in authority, you more than likely will not have that problem when they become a teenager.

     When I was growing up, I was scared as hell of my mother.  My mother did not play.  If she said something she meant it and as a teenager, if I got out of line, best believe my mom was knocking you out.  She was like Mike Tyson back in the 80's and early 90's.  You had better learn how to duck and dodge. LOL!!  Some kids have no problem talking crazy to their parents because their parents don't do or say anything, thus, they will continue to do what they can get away with. In my house growing up, you couldn't get away with anything and you were probably crazy to think that you could.  Every kid wants to say something smart to their parents when they feel like their parent is being unfair.  If your child fears you, like we did my mother, you would NEVER fix your mouth to say something crazy, unless you wanted to be picking yourself off the floor or searching for your teeth.
     More parents today need to put fear in their children instead of trying to be their "friend" or worrying about their child not "liking" them.  I wouldn't give a damn if my child never liked me but he will respect me!  That I know for a fact!  I am his mother, NOT his friend.  Friends don't buy your clothes and shoes.  Friends don't pay the mortgage or rent.  Friends don't make sure that you have food to eat, water to wash your butt and electricity to play those video games that they didn't buy!  Friends don't care if you fail or do well.  Your parents do!  Don't get it twisted parents who feel like you need to be a friend to your child.  If God meant for you to be their friend, he wouldn't have made that child to be yours! PERIOD!  You have a responsibility to your children to raise them and give them structure.  That is your job!!