((Mouse))

Ok, but what about what's normal for mothers? How about what's normal for mothers in therapy? Or mothers in therapy who were abandoned by their mothers?

I hope you can cut yourself a little slack. The difference between you and your adoptive mother is that you are recognizing your baggage and taking the necessary steps toward establishing healthy relationships with your children.

No one has a perfect relationship with their teens and many of us mothers have "issues" that we bring to the parenting table. When we lose patience because of our issues then we are displaying our human side. When we explain our anger/explosiveness/acting out to our chldren then we are showing them that healing is possible. It's all we can do because as you know, children learn more from modeling than from anyone else.

So, when life gets difficult for your kids, it will feel normal for them to reach out for help because of your example. Good job, mom.

Take care.