Sometimes being a parent to an older teen is like being in a row boat waiting for your scuba diving child to come back up for air. We wait patiently. We can't go down with them but we are there, ready when they surface. It's risky. You can't see where they are going, but it's a fools errand to dive after them. You don't have an air tank. They could be anywhere. But, they will come up for air some time and when they do you are there ready to receive, love, and guide. Then they dive again. And you wait, again.
This metaphor is not perfect and certainly doesn't pertain to younger children. Our older children, our young adults, are increasingly making their own decisions, wise or unwise. Hopefully we have been parenting them to prepare them for this time. We are still their parents, they are still in our home, but (whether we like it or not) we are no longer in control. It's tempting to pull the 'you're still my child' card. No one could blame you. But it's largely an exercise in futility. The secret is patience and timing. At some point they will come to you and genuinely want your input and guidance. You are close to launching them (there's another less than perfect metaphor) and the air in their tank is limited. They will come up to breathe at some point. Wait patiently.
