Mom-ing in the Middle

There comes a point in parenting where you’re not in a clear season—you’re wedged between them. Uncomfortably. With no leg room and zero room to breathe.

You’ve rocked The Newborn Blur and said sayonara to the Snack Sherpa years. Now comes the era of Taxi Driver and ATM, right before the not-quite-obsolete Emotional Support Animal season, coming soon to an inbox near you.

Right now, I’m firmly planted in my Taxi Driver and ATM era. I put more kilometres on my vehicle than a long-haul trucker. And honestly? I might need a loan to fund the sports gear, tournament hotels and restaurant bills I didn’t sign up for. My vacation days? Sacrificed for sports. Bladder breaks? Scheduled between carefully coordinated pick-ups and drop-offs.

My daughter’s stuck in the middle too—too old for stuffies, too young for freedom. She can’t drive a car (legally), but she rolls her eyes harder than bald tires on black ice. She’s between voices, shoe sizes, curfews and friend groups. Between childhood and whoever she’s becoming.

And me? I’m lodged somewhere between “Mom knows everything” and “Mom, please stop breathing near me.” Some days, it’s beautiful. She’ll sit shotgun, let me DJ, and we’ll belt out ‘90s throwbacks like old friends. Other days, I suggest a movie and she asks if it’s in colour. Apparently, I’m ancient.

And yet… maybe this is where the good stuff lives. Maybe the in-between is where the magic happens. Where she’s figuring herself out, and I’m learning how to let go without actually letting go. Where we both exist—awkward, awesome and slightly agitated.

So, we’ll keep driving. We’ll keep funding. We’ll keep showing up in this weird, wonderful middle chapter to intentionally embarrass our teenagers. We’ll be there with snacks, sarcasm and Spotify on standby.

Because one day, they won’t need a ride. Or gas money. Or your playlist. And you’ll miss this exhausting, exhilarating limbo more than you ever thought you would.

 

Janet Smith is a proud mom of one daughter and a marketing professional who is grateful for her rural roots in the London area. Follow Janet’s funny and honest journey at IG & TT | @re.marketable.janet or FB | @janetsiddallsmith