Me, Kendall, and cousin, Caden in February at a family weddingKendall turns 13 on April 10th. I am simply in awe of the wonderful girl that she is; so sweet, smart, kind, talented, responsible. I hear stories about how girls turn into hate-filled psychpaths around this time, but I just can't picture it with her. She loves me, respects my opinions (and asks for them), takes my hand in public, and always kisses/hugs me goodnight. She is just a terrific daughter, and I love our relationship. Does it really have to end? I hope not.
That said, I have been hearing this "Cats in the Cradle" vibe in my head lately, and it's made me even more committed to an idea I have for this summer; I want to take a road trip with Kendall, just the two of us, while she still likes hanging with me. I think it would be really cool to find a website like "Roadtrip.com" or something that lets you log in and plan a mother-daughter roadtrip. Specifically, I'd like to go west, since I've never seen the Badlands, Grand Canyon, etc. and LOVE Washington State. Maybe we could even find some mother-daughter events going on. And Kendall, true to her nature, is up for anything.
Of course, such a trip would be expensive gas-wise, and we don't know a soul that we could stay with along the way (to save on hotels), but I want to try to make it happen anyway. And yes, I know we'd have to be careful; two females traveling alone. I'd love to camp, but I'd feel too vulnerable doing that alone. If you have any tips, suggestions, or links that would help with this, I would love it....
Hi! Thanks for your comment re: my comment on Betina's blog. I took your suggestion and added an email address to my profile, haha!
ReplyDeleteHey--you should totally do Grand Canyon and S. Utah. There are so many incredibly beautiful national parks in S. Utah with a big variety in scenery and a lot of easy hikes. The main routes are touristy so you wouldn't have to worry about safety. I'd esp. think about Zion's National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches, etc. Good luck!
i wish i could help but i'm somewhat too far north of where you want to go to. i just wanted to let you know that it's possible for your daughter to maintain a good relationship with you (or vice versa) through the teen years.
ReplyDeleteaccording to the developmental psych course i took on adolescence, most kids don't go through the rebellion stage. for the most part they maintain good relations with their parents and have similar goals and morals as their parents.
boy is a wonderful kid at 15, sure he has his a** moments, but hey, he's human. he hugs and kisses us in public, in front of his friends, tells us he loves us when he's around his friends and is respectful of our friends even when bran and i aren't there.
so it doesn't have to end between you and kendall, in fact, it has the potential become even more wonderful.
I am here to tell you, it doesn't have to end. I have a 17 year old girl so i know whereof i speak.
ReplyDeleteI took a trip with my daughter last year, right after she turned 13.
ReplyDeleteWe went to Eureka Springs, AR. and stayed in a really old historic hotel, complete with ghosts!
What would be the upside to staying with ghosts, you might ask?
My daughter snuggled up to me all night, just like she did when she was itty bitty.
It was a great trip. I went with my sister and her two kids, and my best friend Lisa and her two kids.
You'll enjoy a trip with your daughter, anywhere you go, even if it's just the next town over!
Terri
SO glad to hear the positive outlook (with scientific reasearch AND personal experience as witnesses!). I'm sure there are exceptions, but I won't assume that Kendall will be one of them :)
ReplyDeleteGhosts in a hotel, huh? Sounds fun.
A good trip is all in the planning. Kyle has been texting us from Florida. So far they have had to stay in crappy hotels, because they made no reservations in advance. There's always a risk in traveling that way, especially during spring break!
I think it sounds like a great time! If you're in the Grand Canyon state, you do know one person (wink! wink!) but I am pretty south of the actual canyon.
ReplyDeleteI think a road trip like that sounds fantastic! My daughter is only 5 right now but I am already hoping, so hard, for a relationship like you've just described, as she gets older. Lucky mama, you!
ReplyDeletea Mother-Daughter road trip sounds wonderful! Of course hotel is always good.
ReplyDelete:)