I dreaded my teens dating, but it’s brought me closer to them. They talk to me about everything — I’ve even helped draft break-up texts.

• My teenagers are 14 and 16, and have both started seriously dating within the last year.
• Through happy moments and heartbreak, I’ve supported my kids and grown closer to them as they date.
• The dating years aren’t something to dread, but are a really fun time in my parenting journey.

When I was a new mom, it seemed like every well-meaning stranger in a grocery checkout line would turn to me and remind me to enjoy the infant and toddler days because they’d go “so fast.” Their warnings terrified me, and I wondered what life would be like when my babies were teenagers. Would they still need me? Would we get along? And what would is this: Yes, your kids will grow up. Yes, it will feel like time flew by. But there are so many rewarding moments in raising teenagers if you’re open to accepting your kids for who they are and learning alongside them.

Years after my days of dragging toddlers through Target have ended, I am fascinated by what cool human beings my husband and I raised. Seeing my kids date and be in relationships hasn’t felt like “losing” them but instead has made me feel even closer to them as I continue to help them grow into adults.