Adolescence Stinks

Following up on Wednesday's forum post about puberty and kids with special needs, a few more observations about those tumultuous teenage years:

In response to Southern_Mom's request for input about puberty, Norway Mom has submitted a lengthy list of links and resources about adolescence and all its complications on the Parenting Special Needs Forum. If you've got a child going through this particular change of life, there looks to be a lot of good reading and food for thought there.

My own personal adolescent trauma today is: How do you know when teenagers not including your kid is a special-needs issue, and when it's just a garden-variety mean-teen thing? My daughter didn't get in with her most dearly-held friends when roommates were chosen up for an upcoming band trip, and of course my immediate thought was, they're rejecting her because of her disability! They've pretended to be her friends, but they're really not! Inclusion is a cruel lie! But then I talked to another mother of a "typical" teen whose daughter had been excluded in similar situations, and realized that it could just be that adolescence stinks, and teens are thoughtless, and girls don't need a reason to be inhumane to other girls. And that made me feel better, a little. And worse, too.

If you took this post title seriously and thought, "Why, yes! My adolescent does stink!" read over "Body Odor Basics" for some help on restoring a scent of harmony to your household. And know that I am with you there, because my son has finally reached that stage where he can no longer go for days without a bath, and he's the last person to believe it.