Oh….I get that kind of battle with dd14….and I could just scream! My brain (and sometimes my voice) is saying, “Don’t you dare speak to me with that disrespectful tone and/or attitude!” When she insists that I know nothing and she knows everything, I remember back when I was in 9th grade and my friends/classmates and I thought, “Nice try, parents, but we’re going to be the generation to cure cancer and lead the entire world into an era of peace.”
I suppose if she didn’t try to feel overly independent and wise, she might shrink back into herself and never try to accomplish what God has planned for her….or to accomplish algebra, for that matter. I believe two things are in play in these situations: first, God is trying to teach me patience (wouldn’t want to be the one in charge of that task!) and second, I am surely recognizing one thing–that dd is so much like me!