Sometimes Being a Dad to a Teen-Ager is SO Hard..

[Skull Pilot]

I think Skull Pilot was smart not to have kids, its hard as hell.

Sorry but there is nothing special about reproduction. People have been doing it for millions of years.

 

[High_Gravity]

I think Skull Pilot was smart not to have kids, its hard as hell.

Sorry but there is nothing special about reproduction. People have been doing it for millions of years.

I agree, but I have a feeling if you did have a kid you would be a good father.

 

[caela]

So last year my daughter tried tennis and decided she liked it. Dad's an advanced player. I worked with her for a couple months and she loved it. Then she made the team at school as an alternate.
She worked SO hard over the summer! She would practice every day after school (I volunteer as a coach) and then we would practice after practice and on week-ends. This year at age 14, she's a starter on a High School Tennis team that has made regionals or better every year. They worked hard, played hard and made Regionals again this year. And it rained. And Rained. (In Vegas!). So she had to play one match this morning and they won! But then an hour later, they had to play Sectionals (the next level up) with a team that finished their Regionals last week. 3 matches per girl. Our girls had to play 6 matches each, in one day.
It was tied all the way to the end and the last match bieng played was my daughter against an 18 year old who's been playing over 10 years. She got the lead... and then lost.
Geez I'm practically crying just typing this. Even though 7 other girls on her team lost their matches, the pressure was all on my daughter. EVERY girl and coach was watching when she lost.
I told her how proud I was of her and all the usual dad love's you and is proud of you etc... but the poor thing was just inconsolable and finally cried herself to sleep.

GEEZ IT'S TOUGH BEING A DAD SOMETIMES!

Okay, enough venting. Time for a glass of 18 year old Single Malt...

Sounds like you're doing a great job as a father! Just remind her that she did fantastically, lasted longer than the other girls on her team and lost to someone 4 years her senior who'd been playing longer than she has! Sounds to me like the girl has skills. Hopefully, once she'd over being so upset about losing, she'll be proud of what she accomplished and determined to do even better in the future.

Good for both of you!

 

[IndependntLogic]

So last year my daughter tried tennis and decided she liked it. Dad's an advanced player. I worked with her for a couple months and she loved it. Then she made the team at school as an alternate.
She worked SO hard over the summer! She would practice every day after school (I volunteer as a coach) and then we would practice after practice and on week-ends. This year at age 14, she's a starter on a High School Tennis team that has made regionals or better every year. They worked hard, played hard and made Regionals again this year. And it rained. And Rained. (In Vegas!). So she had to play one match this morning and they won! But then an hour later, they had to play Sectionals (the next level up) with a team that finished their Regionals last week. 3 matches per girl. Our girls had to play 6 matches each, in one day.
It was tied all the way to the end and the last match bieng played was my daughter against an 18 year old who's been playing over 10 years. She got the lead... and then lost.
Geez I'm practically crying just typing this. Even though 7 other girls on her team lost their matches, the pressure was all on my daughter. EVERY girl and coach was watching when she lost.
I told her how proud I was of her and all the usual dad love's you and is proud of you etc... but the poor thing was just inconsolable and finally cried herself to sleep.

GEEZ IT'S TOUGH BEING A DAD SOMETIMES!

Okay, enough venting. Time for a glass of 18 year old Single Malt...

Sounds like you're doing a great job as a father! Just remind her that she did fantastically, lasted longer than the other girls on her team and lost to someone 4 years her senior who'd been playing longer than she has! Sounds to me like the girl has skills. Hopefully, once she'd over being so upset about losing, she'll be proud of what she accomplished and determined to do even better in the future.

Good for both of you!

Thanks. She's already back in the groove. It's been truly rewarding.

 

[caela]

So last year my daughter tried tennis and decided she liked it. Dad's an advanced player. I worked with her for a couple months and she loved it. Then she made the team at school as an alternate.
She worked SO hard over the summer! She would practice every day after school (I volunteer as a coach) and then we would practice after practice and on week-ends. This year at age 14, she's a starter on a High School Tennis team that has made regionals or better every year. They worked hard, played hard and made Regionals again this year. And it rained. And Rained. (In Vegas!). So she had to play one match this morning and they won! But then an hour later, they had to play Sectionals (the next level up) with a team that finished their Regionals last week. 3 matches per girl. Our girls had to play 6 matches each, in one day.
It was tied all the way to the end and the last match bieng played was my daughter against an 18 year old who's been playing over 10 years. She got the lead... and then lost.
Geez I'm practically crying just typing this. Even though 7 other girls on her team lost their matches, the pressure was all on my daughter. EVERY girl and coach was watching when she lost.
I told her how proud I was of her and all the usual dad love's you and is proud of you etc... but the poor thing was just inconsolable and finally cried herself to sleep.

GEEZ IT'S TOUGH BEING A DAD SOMETIMES!

Okay, enough venting. Time for a glass of 18 year old Single Malt...

Sounds like you're doing a great job as a father! Just remind her that she did fantastically, lasted longer than the other girls on her team and lost to someone 4 years her senior who'd been playing longer than she has! Sounds to me like the girl has skills. Hopefully, once she'd over being so upset about losing, she'll be proud of what she accomplished and determined to do even better in the future.

Good for both of you!

Thanks. She's already back in the groove. It's been truly rewarding.

Good to hear. My own daughter is only three and has a stubborn streak a mile wide that I am hoping grows into the sort of willpower and determination your daughter is showing.

 

[Rocky Top Lady]

Count your blessings. Mine died two weeks short of her 20th birthday.

Bless you. My son died a month shy of his 24th.....

Raising him was not always easy, but losing him was harder by far....

Never let your child leave your presence without looking them in the eye and saying "I love you".

 

[graywolf]

Doing this for your kids is just training to help the grandkids. She did great

 

[Dabs]

MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This - YouTube

I love it SB!!!!
My daughter danced to this in a beauty pageant thing she was in, manyyyyyyyyyyyyyy years ago

 

[Dabs]

I think Skull Pilot was smart not to have kids, its hard as hell.

I agree. It's like starting a successfull business or winning in a sport or any other worthwhile venture. There are a lot of people who can talk about business but few who can do it. There are a lot of people who can catch a football but few who are willing to keep their eye on it and their arms up, when they hear the sound of a linebacker thundering toward their ribs (yes, I was a skinny wide receiver in HS).
It's a matter of tempering the steel and realizing the deep rewards that accompany both success and the inevitible failures.
A friend of mine was an olympic ice-skating coach. She told me something 25 years ago that I still remember: "You can tell the ones that aren't going to make the team. They never fall down."
Last night me and Erica did speed drills for 30 minutes, Total Power shots for 30 minutes, then she played a set with a 20 year old friend of ours (won in tiebreak), jogged the mile back home, did bicycles, crunches, leg lifts, dips and arm weights. Took her about eleven seconds to fall asleep.
What a champion! She's working so hard..... that I'm in the best shape of my life!

I think having a child is a big investment, you are putting alot of time and energy into another person to help them succeed, and sometimes the results are mixed. Its risky business.

Great words HG!
This goes for raising a grandchild too....I-Yi-Yi

 

[High_Gravity]

I agree. It's like starting a successfull business or winning in a sport or any other worthwhile venture. There are a lot of people who can talk about business but few who can do it. There are a lot of people who can catch a football but few who are willing to keep their eye on it and their arms up, when they hear the sound of a linebacker thundering toward their ribs (yes, I was a skinny wide receiver in HS).
It's a matter of tempering the steel and realizing the deep rewards that accompany both success and the inevitible failures.
A friend of mine was an olympic ice-skating coach. She told me something 25 years ago that I still remember: "You can tell the ones that aren't going to make the team. They never fall down."
Last night me and Erica did speed drills for 30 minutes, Total Power shots for 30 minutes, then she played a set with a 20 year old friend of ours (won in tiebreak), jogged the mile back home, did bicycles, crunches, leg lifts, dips and arm weights. Took her about eleven seconds to fall asleep.
What a champion! She's working so hard..... that I'm in the best shape of my life!

I think having a child is a big investment, you are putting alot of time and energy into another person to help them succeed, and sometimes the results are mixed. Its risky business.

Great words HG!
This goes for raising a grandchild too....I-Yi-Yi

You are a stronger person than me, I don't think I would have it in me to raise a child when I get to my 40s and 50s.

 

[Dabs]

I think having a child is a big investment, you are putting alot of time and energy into another person to help them succeed, and sometimes the results are mixed. Its risky business.

Great words HG!
This goes for raising a grandchild too....I-Yi-Yi

You are a stronger person than me, I don't think I would have it in me to raise a child when I get to my 40s and 50s.

Thanks HG!
Raising my own 4 was difficult enough at times, but it seems, as the days goes by, the world changes ever so much, and raising a grandchild is not as easy as it was when I raised my own.
If someone had told me 10 years ago, that I would be in this situation I am in now, I would have called them a liar........but, here I am.
She's 12 now, I have 6 years to go, to get her to where she can make it on her own, and HOPE and PRAY I did the best I ever could. I will be 55 when she graduates~

 

[High_Gravity]

Great words HG!
This goes for raising a grandchild too....I-Yi-Yi

You are a stronger person than me, I don't think I would have it in me to raise a child when I get to my 40s and 50s.

Thanks HG!
Raising my own 4 was difficult enough at times, but it seems, as the days goes by, the world changes ever so much, and raising a grandchild is not as easy as it was when I raised my own.
If someone had told me 10 years ago, that I would be in this situation I am in now, I would have called them a liar........but, here I am.
She's 12 now, I have 6 years to go, to get her to where she can make it on her own, and HOPE and PRAY I did the best I ever could. I will be 55 when she graduates~

I give you credit for stepping up to the plate and raising her, by the time I'm 55 I don't want any kids around me.

 

[IndependntLogic]

I think having a child is a big investment, you are putting alot of time and energy into another person to help them succeed, and sometimes the results are mixed. Its risky business.

Great words HG!
This goes for raising a grandchild too....I-Yi-Yi

You are a stronger person than me, I don't think I would have it in me to raise a child when I get to my 40s and 50s.

Dude Shut UP! I'm turning 50 soon!
It's great though

 

[Virginia Mom]

I was 35 when my son was born. Best thing that ever happened to me. I adopted him as a single mom (the guy I was involved with didn't want children, so he was gone), and we did fine. He's now an inactive duty Marine, and married to a wonderful woman, and I am so proud of him. Age really doesn't have anything to do with it, it's what's in your heart, and I would do it all over again, if I had the chance, I miss the innocent years.

 

[High_Gravity]

Great words HG!
This goes for raising a grandchild too....I-Yi-Yi

You are a stronger person than me, I don't think I would have it in me to raise a child when I get to my 40s and 50s.

Dude Shut UP! I'm turning 50 soon!
It's great though

You are a tough guy, when I'm 50 I want to be in chill mode with as less stress as possible raising kids is very stressful and I don't want that in my 50's.

 

[IndependntLogic]

You are a stronger person than me, I don't think I would have it in me to raise a child when I get to my 40s and 50s.

Dude Shut UP! I'm turning 50 soon!
It's great though

You are a tough guy, when I'm 50 I want to be in chill mode with as less stress as possible raising kids is very stressful and I don't want that in my 50's.

2 - 3 hours of tennis a day helps. People usually guess me in my mid-30's. My avatar photo is from July.