My 16 year old daughter is moody and barely interacts with us. She rolls her eyes and wants nothing to do with our traditions. But for both Halloween and now Christmas she is doing all the traditions with her boyfriend’s family.

She’s excited when she comes home with whatever she did there. Last night it was Christmas cookies. I put on a happy face for her but really, I feel hurt and rejected and left out and I’m starting to wish that she never met him or his family.

I’ve been assured that this is a teen thing and I’m really sick of that answer. I’m constantly working my mind around all the “teen” things she does and then something like this happens and I’m back to negativity. I’m starting to think it’s easier to not care at all.

C – daughter comes home with cookies she made at boyfriends house
T – she is part of his family more than she is part of ours
F – rejected
A – put on happy face for her, wrestle with conflicting feelings in my head, think about when she would like to do those things with this family, wonder what it would be like if she never met him in the first place, wish that she would show interest in being part of this family, wonder if I could have done anything to prevent this.

I’M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT MY RESULT
R – I’m not present with this family? I’m not giving myself the opportunity to be part of traditions? I’m too focused on what she does?