Hi! I'm Lindsay Ferrier. You might remember me from a blog called Suburban Turmoil. Well, a lot has changed since I started that blog in 2005. My kids grew up, I got a divorce, and I finally left the suburbs for the heart of Nashville, where I feel like I truly belong. I have no idea what the future will hold and you know what? I'm okay with that. Thrilled, actually. It was time for something totally different.
February 15, 2008
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Let’s talk about one of the best aspects of blended families with teenage girls.
THE BABYSITTING.
Do not think that I take it for granted for one second that I have babysitters virtually on call for my every need and whim. If I need to go to the grocery, but it’s raining? No worries. I have babysitters! If I want to go to Starbucks and write for a few hours? No big deal. I have babysitters! If I want to go on a date night once a week? Woo hoo! I have babysitters!
And even if both girls are busy or gone, I can call their most trustworthy friends! Instant babysitters!
All of this babysitting costs money, of course, but the girls have managed to build up a defecit on par with that of the United States, so we’re pretty much guaranteed free babysitting for life! And as every mom and dad knows, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Just as good as babysitting is the fact that Punky spends a much of her time now “hanging out,” as she puts it, with my 14-year-old stepdaughter. The two play video games and computer games together and if my 14-year-old is in her room, chances are that Punky’s up there with her, playing in a corner with one of 14’s stuffed animals or Pez dispensers. Those are hours that give me some one-on-one time with little Bruiser, who is a cuddler and craves physical contact in a way that Punky never did.
Growing up, I remember loving to go to the homes of families with four kids. It seemed there was always some sort of craziness going on. The families seemed more relaxed about messes and mayhem, and everyone always had someone with whom they could spend time. I resolved then that I wanted four kids, but as I got older, I couldn’t imagine giving birth to four babies all by myself (kudos to those who have!). How lucky I feel to have my four kids, and to have only gone through the pregnancy experience (which I did not enjoy, mkay? Particularly when I was pregnant with Bruiser, the World’s Largest Baby) twice.
I love the amount of attention that Punky and Bruiser get from having four other people in the house who love them and hold them and hug them all the time. I love seeing Punky feel entirely comfortable with older kids and adults and since she’s not a naturally outgoing girl, I’m absolutely certain that her comfort comes from being around a large family and all the friends that come in and out our front door. All of the angst of being both a stepmom and a keeper of teenagers is generally neutralized by all of the benefits of being part of a large family where there’s more than enough love to go around.
This post originally appeared on Parents.com.
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