girls pretty much easier to raise , however they will forget what you have done in no time, they will go into default setting (their Mom) in no time with disregard of how you tried to sway them away from that. I won't put too much rules or restriction , they either gets it (considerate) or they don't
Nothing much I can add (I have 2 boys), but props to you and your wife for stepping up when you need to. I certainly don't envy you.
I wouldn't look at it like that. It seems he is going into things with eyes wide open. Is being an amazing uncle and hopefully make the best of things. Life can be crazy in a good way though.
Most definitely. They have the opportunity to really make a difference in this girls life and that's really what it's all about. Paying it forward. Envy is probably the wrong word, I only said that because my boys are 9 and I want them to stay 9 forever and never become teenagers.
I feel ya. My son is 10 and I have noticed that in the last 6 months a few things from changing a bit. But what can you do.
girls more likely to graduate from college , commit less crimes than boys , from experience, my nephew needs only Xbox ,he could care less about anything else which make him an ideal adaption project
I have worked with emotionally disturbed teenagers for most of my teaching career as their teacher and or mentor and have found that in 99% of cases helping them find peace with their parents is what is most helpful in them finding peace in life. She most likely feels abandonded by both parents, her father off in another state and her mother present but off in her own world, but if she is able to avoid hating them and ultimately forgiving them she will be better off. How you do that is difficult to explain since it is dependent on individual circumstances. Number 1 thing these kids need to know is that their parents would be better if they could be. Something like that. Good luck.
I don't know about your niece but in general..with 14-17 year old girls everything is possible. Especially if they go through a bad adolescence. It is possible to have sobbing fit during dinner for no real reason and it is possible that she stops talking to you for days and it is possible that she is also sweet and adorable. It is also possible that she is cold and distant. Everything is possible because of hormones. Think like for example an adult woman when she has her period but 30 times more dramatic. Every single thing can be treated like the end of the world. Of course it depends on the person but things like that are fairly common and usual with teenage girls. You just be you and whatever is being said dont' take it to heart. Follow your plans and rules and when you are asked to listen to her teenage troubles do it knowing that it's not important so much to find a solution but to show that you are there for her. What's for sure is that you better have a lot of bathrooms in your house because one of them is going to be occupied by your niece most of the time in the morning and evening. I am just making generalisations from personal experience and I dont know about your niece in specific. Good luck!