Young Hollywood is filled with hard working and super successful teenaged titans. Megastars like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift reportedly made $18 million last year and, along with the Jonas Brothers, they are building global empires that rival the top artists in the industry. Some mini moguls like Dakota Fanning and Abigail Breslin can’t get behind the wheel of a car yet, but they’re driving up box office numbers and taking on the world. On this episode of “Spotlight to Nightlight,” host Ali Landry talks to Niecy Nash (Style Network’s “Clean House,” Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!” and Disney’s “G-Force”) about raising teenagers and setting a good example in the fast paced world of Hollywood.
Watch the video
http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/goddess/spotlight-to-nightlight-teen-talk/257
Having Niecy on the show really opened my eyes to what is to come as my daughter Estela gets older. I have to admit, I am terrified. Time is flying and I feel like the teen years are just around the corner. The world has changed so much from when I grew up in a small town in Louisiana. I will be facing a completely different set of circumstances than my parents did … living in a big city, not knowing the history or background of most of my child’s friends, and competing with technology, to name a few.
My mother was very much like Niecy in the sense that she kept us close. We were allowed to have sleepovers and, later, parties in high school, but it was always at our house and there was always adult supervision. She was also very strict when it came to my curfew and the amount of time I spent on the phone. She always said that nothing good happens after midnight. Well, in high school that was the last thing I wanted to hear. While all of my friends were getting together or riding around I was home watching the early days of MTV. She also never allowed me to call boys, which at the time I (of course) thought was so unfair! Looking back I am so grateful for all of the rules and guidance my parents gave me, and I probably will be even more cautious with Estela.
I completely agree with Niecy that it is our job as parents to lead by example, know what our kids are up to, who they are hanging out with, what they are listening to, watching and reading, and keeping up on what’s current in their world. My husband and I will have to completely be on the same page and really work together as a team to navigate through those teenage years. I’ve heard that the most powerful thing is mother’s prayer for their children. I think I will be doing a lot of praying during the coming years for guidance as a parent and for safety and wisdom for my child. From what I’ve heard, I also might need to throw in a couple of prayers for sanity, too!
