A Survival Plan for Parenting in 2020

 So I have this really cool kid. Creative, smart, social.

She's 12 going on 13. Of course, she wants to fit in to what everyone else is doing. Fitting in at 12 years old in 2020 in an urban setting includes but is not limited to... Well, a whole bunch of crap.

Parents can no longer think in the longterm (ie: when my kid graduates from highschool unscathed, at their wedding, when they emerge from a healthy childhood to have healthy kids of their own.) As a parent in 2020, I'm focused on the now and getting through the last few weeks of summer. Then, it will be the first month of school and managing her emotions and intensity as tech companies buy their way into her education. From there, it will be getting through the fall, emotionally and spiritually intact.  Completing this school year? That is ten months away.

And then there are friends... Listen, if you have "given in" to technology you may have noticed we aren't hanging out with you as much. We are happy to meet anyone at the river, to hang out in backyards and get together for BBQs -- and not talk about your virtual life the majority of the time...

But, harsh reality aside, I've got a plan and I'm going to make it. Six parenting years left -- I can almost count that on one hand. I'm envisioning a whole person -- mind, spirit, soul emerging from a wholesome childhood full of a lot of good memories. It does not matter if I slide into my empty nest with an empty bank account and a couple of unfinished degrees (this is not my plan but I find it helps to accept a 'worse case scenario').

On that note, this week, she jumped in the river with all her clothes on. We went for a walk in the mountains; there is a very aggressive bear in the area. We didn't encounter the bear -- but we did see a lot of caterpillars. She made me a birthday cake and birthday tarts. We house/cat sat for three days, two nights. I get to see my favorite local band play on a farm on my birthday. I planted spinach and arugula in our garden -- and watched two webinars.

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