Finding time with my teen: Girl's night out

It is difficult to find time to be alone with your teen. My ex-husband and I share-parent which means that sometimes she is with me, sometimes with him. When she isn't she is with friends, or working, school or at sports. Between her schedule, my schedule and younger siblings it is hard to find time to be alone with my teenage daughter, but it is important. There are things I want to talk about. There are things she wants to talk about. So how do we meet in the middle of so many schedules? Our answer is girl's night out.

Now when you think of "girl's night out" you may be thinking of a break in a busy mom's schedule where she can actually go out with some friends for a movie, coffee, shopping or simply have time that doesn't belong to everyone else. Sure, I do that too on occasion. But the girl's night out I really look forward to are the nights when my teen and out head out "on the town."
Dress to impress She likes to dress up, it gives her a chance to visit the grown up world of dressing to impress, even if it is just herself. I actually like it too. Make up and hair are part of the routine giving her a chance to try some new ideas and me too. (I actually loved what she did to my hair the other day!). This also gives us a chance to explore how much is too much and how little is way to little.

Where to go and what to do? For us it's usually dinner or dinner and a movie. We get a chance to just talk and explore foods that we normally may not order and it is very nice not to have to stop to "go potty" or to cut up anyone else's food or to address a mid meal meltdown. Our choice of movie is much like my parenting style. Here are your options. Which one do you want to do? The nice thing about this set up is I get to see some movies that the other mommy's may not watch with me (last night was Transformers 3). And, guess what if it's a serious chick flick no one cares if we cry.

There are many advantages to my girls night out. I get time with my teen. We get to talk, really talk. She gets to explore the grown up world and still remain a teen for just a little longer. And for just a few hours mom is almost - but not quite a teen too.
Maybe you think it's cool. Maybe you think it's corny. But consider this. When else do you get the chance to really hear what is on your teens mind?


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