No More Denial Blankets

You know it is so tough not being oblivious to life. "Ignorance is bliss" and the truth will set you free after it pisses you off. My teenager is back to her old tricks with a few new ones to boot. The old ones I can deal with fine, supervised computers and phones. This new one is so hard. She is an honors student taking honors English and I spoke with her teacher about her having problems with reading the book "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. I thought it would be cheating to read with her and explain what she was reading. The teacher said that was what she needs. So I have been helping her with this insane book report and she has been working her tail off for 2 months now. We just checked her email and this assignment is due on Monday and she emailed it to her freind and told her freind to change the words so they don't get caught cheating. This is a HUGE problem for me. I have spent evenings with her helping her get this work done. She signed a plagiarism contract at the beginning of the school year. The teacher will know when they have the exact same chapter quotations in their paper. The teacher knows how hard Adrianna has been working on this. I cried when I told her this because it hurts so much but I told her that if she doesn't call this kid and tell her not to use her paper that I was going to the school on Monday and turning them in and there goes her scholarship. I cannot allow this, I even asked her if she was getting paid and she said no so is it really worth it?! I know what happens to kids who don't have consequences from their parents and I don't want that for her. She is smart and deserves more out of life. And then there is the guilt in me, she is the child who survived my addiction and now has to deal with me as a parent and I just want to give her everything her heart desires and it is so hard not to. Especially when I can give her what she wants and instead I make her earn it. It is so much easier to cave and give in. I am used to that I know how to do that. I am learning to stick to my guns. And this too shall pass. So for today my mediation will be;
"Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."--Raymond Lindquist