Sometimes loving a teen looks like making new Kraft Mac & Cheese at 4 a.m.

My oldest packs her lunch about every day. Her cooking skills are meek at best. Last night she came home in her own head after a ball game. However, she was determined to make Mac & Cheese for her lunch today.

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After she made it with a little more coaching than she cared for, she leaked out it still wasn’t good. Her noodles were far too underdone. It was visible. If it was pride, determination, self-pity, or all the above, I don’t know; however, she packed it up and shoved it in her lunch box.

Fast forward to a 3 a.m. wake-up from a preschooler who had to make a potty trip. I couldn’t fall back asleep after she did. I came down to putter around before it was time to head out.

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I happened to glance in the cupboard as I was loading the wash machine to see those blue boxes looking back at me. At that point, I thought, “Screw it. She doesn’t need to eat a shakey lunch because she’s stubborn.”

Fifteen minutes later, I was dumping out a container of crunchy mac and refilling it with properly prepared blue box goodness.

Loving teens is a rough road. I’m glad to help her smooth some potholes.

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page