If you can survive your children's adolescence there are surprising rewards.

Beth and I consider ourselves doubly blessed. Both of our daughters, Sara Beth and Lisa Ruby, now ages 27 and 25 respectively, are wonderful loving adults. There were numerous times we wondered if we/they would survive adolescence. Lisa was especially prickly in junior high and high school. When she went off to Fordham University, I expected her to drop out or do in a roommate. She amazed and pleased me by not only surviving three consecutive roommates from hell, but getting into the accelerated master's program during her senior year. She even taught at a parochial school in the Bronx while an undergraduate.
That prickly kid is now 'mom' to 4 cats, is pursuing a 2nd master's degree in early childhood literacy and is working as a teacher's aide with special ed. kids. Her compassion and insight into student strengths and teacher weaknesses continually amazes me. Both Sara and Lisa love coming home, love sharing books they really liked and get me the absolute best Christmas and birthday presents. If you are a parent of a teen or two and wonder if it's worth the hassle, take heart and remember my experience. It's worth every moment of contention and histrionics when they turn out this good.