Rebecky

I slept much better when I was single and I am just going to leave it at that. Well I better not leave it at that. Some people snore, get up in the middle of the night, eat crackers in bed, and all kinds of things like that.

I used to be open on Facebook and Instagram and got burned by a stalker when I was in college so I have scaled back on facebook and deleted my instagram. I do know lots of kids on Instagram and it is very safe if you as a parent control the account. She will love instagram if she is on any kind of school group or church group. I would turn off direct messages since her honest to goodness friends won't need to contact her that way.

Our youth group at church as all inclusive and we work hard to be sure that every one feels just as important as everyone else. Our youth leaders are responsible for being sure that no one is feeling like the 3rd wheel and that is not an easy thing to do because even church groups can be cliquish. That should never be the case but it is human nature to be attracted to some people and not attracted to others. Making an effort like that girl did is a big step in the right direction. Being the one to initiate conversation has always been easy for me but it is not easy for all girls. Fear of rejection causes some to be insecure about socializing. A lot of them turn to social media as a way of feeling that they have friends or are a part of a group.

Hi Alma. Lots of huggles because I know what you are feeling and you are not alone in having these feelings. You know since I was 14, my world has been very Christ-centered and so I get what you are saying about the culture we live in. It can be a challenge to deal with misogyny that is usually subtle but can also be overt and in our faces. My father can be that way without realizing it so there are times when I have to lovingly guide him. I am not sure you are in a position to do that with your father but you will be. You need a few more years on you first. It does get better. Your father will see you as a woman and not a little girl at some time. Just work on him a little at a time. You will get there! I am very happy and secure with my femininity and I am girly like you. I love big bows, pretty dresses, pretty shoes, and pretty underthings. My taste in clothes can be annoying to some women because I tend to like clothes that are more forever 21 instead of clothes that are more for the professional types but I'm not changing who I am to fit in with any group. The only time I dress really professional is when we are having a corporate meeting. Anyway, I truly believe a woman can be a CEO of a company and still come home and jump into a romper and play with her puppies. Nothing wrong with that. You must be the person God created and be happy with who you are and I see in your posts that this is just what you are doing. Be the fun loving gal you are and be the successful company you are.

I guess he does not understand that your uniform and accessories is decided on by the school.

You know us so well!

haha I think it was the year before.

Moms can be really helpful in applying makeup. Anyway, do you think this is too much makeup?

haha I knew you would get it.

Double like

Oh it is.haha

Oh boy yes makeup was a point of contention between me and my parents but mostly between me and my father. I began wearing makeup at 13 and was starting to go heavy on the mascara and eye liner at 14 and that is when the rub started. It wasn't that I was wearing makeup, it was how much I was wearing. I guess I won the battle because my father finally stopped getting on me about how much makeup I liked to wear. I look horrid without makeup so I do not leave the house without putting a little on at least. I love Estee Lauder and try to get enough at one time so I can get a free gift. Like if you buy an expensive eye liner, you might get a free bag or maybe some free eye shadow to go along with it.

What I did is what every teenager is going to do Jonathon and that's to see what's out there in the world and to experience it. I could have just as easily tried some whiskey or smoked a cigarette. Does that mean there should be no whiskey in the house and no cigarettes? Maybe but if they are not in the house then I will find them at a friend's house or somewhere else. Same for the internet. You can deny your teenager a smart phone but you also need to deny her a computer, access to her friend's computers, and access to the computers at her school or at the library. But I hope you not only see the futility of all that, I hope also that you see the foolishness of it because the internet is full of knowledge and knowledge is a good thing. It's lots better to sit down with your tween and surf the net with her and show all of it to her. Let her see the bad and the good and explain the differences to her from your point of view. You might be surprised to find that she doesn't like some of the internet any more than you do but you have to let her decide that on her own.

Mike I get the dangers of the internet but all tweens want a smart phone and it is very problematic to deny them one when all their friends have one. My suggestion is that parents educate their children about the internet before they get online because they are going to get online long before they are in middle school. You cannot control what your children see and hear but you can provide them with values and morals so they are equipped to deal with what they encounter online.

But smart phones are a part of technological progress. In some ways they are replacing computers and tablets just like cell phones are replacing land line phones.