But babies do not stay babies. Slowly, your infant award program attains it's own personality. It becomes influenced by the world around it and not always for the better. It attains something that all mothers dread...the characteristics of the rebellious adolescent. Slowly, imperceptibly, it ceases to be it's mother's pride and joy and becomes instead, mother's little horror.

No body said it would be easy

You may find that as your award program gets older it becomes acutely aware of it's home environment. My program began life within a domain that cost me nothing. It seemed a perfect environment. My program had enough room to develope and flourish and the domain suited the needs of child and mother.

But as my program grew older, it became almost ashamed to invite others home. The unfashionable address and the advertising banners hanging from the front door made it feel uncomfortable. So I began to look for a new home. I knew that I would have to pay for a new domain, but in the end, there was little choice.

It is a reality of the world in which we live that sometimes people are judged on nothing more than looks. As a mother I have tried to instill in my program a sense of fairness and the importance of looking beyond the superficial and delving beneath the surface. Moving from my neighbourhood to a new domain with a short fashionable address seemed to fly in the face of this principle. And yet, what mother would not make sacrifices for her child?

Has anyone seen my child?

Selecting a new domain is all well and good, but it is important to ensure that the new landlords are competent and that the new neighbourhood is one that is safe and well managed.

There can be few things more frightening than a child that is not where you expect him to be. Far too often my award program has been lured away by some force beyond my control. There can be few things more frustrating than to be told that there is nothing to worry about ...this often happens in this neighbourhood and that your child will be back soon. My fear is always first and foremost for the welfare of my adolescent award program, in whom I have invested so much of my time and energy. However it is at these times that I also begin to fear that people will think me an incompetent mother.

Often all that a mother can do in these circumstances is to frantically post notices in forums letting people know that her child has not been abandoned or killed off but is merely temporarily absent. The sense of relief upon the return of the award program is overwhelming.

The best advice for all mothers is before moving domains research the area in which you are to set up home. Speak to others in the neighbourhood. Don't simply take the word of the landlord. This is one of the best ways to ensure that you have selected a safe and secure environment in which to raise an adolescent program.


Be careful out there!

The move from child to adolescent can be less a smooth transition but rather a plummet headlong into the unknown. As my award program became more popular, the intensive social interaction began. As awards and information were exchanged I began to fear that this increased social intercourse would lead to my program picking up viruses, some of which were alien to me.

As a mother, becoming increasingly worried about my award program becoming stricken by some new virus, I began to educate myself and to ensure that my program received all the appropriate inoculations.

It is a fact that the more your program interacts with the world, the greater the chances of viruses penetrating it's system and causing illness or even death. At the end of the day this is all any mother can do is to constantly remind the program that there should be no engaging in social intercourse unless suitable protection is used.

Good grief. What are you wearing!

One of the more enjoyable aspects of being a mother of a baby award program was dressing it up in cute simple clothing. Some of the original clothing was admittedly somewhat garish, but people are generally more tolerant of new mothers when it comes to dressing children. My baby program received changes when needed but nothing too substantial.

However as an adolescent my program seems to demand more fashionable clothing to maintain it's street credibility. If it is not the latest CSS and Javascript undergarments, it is the designer Flash outer garments. As a doting mother I tend to over-indulge my adolescent child. As a result, my program often appears in the strangest clothes, without having quite mastered how to wear some of them. Sometimes I see myself shaking my head and muttering 'what do you look like.'

However, the experimental phase of a child's development is important as part of it's search for it's own identity. A degree of experimentation is a good thing.


Wipe that smile off your face!

Children often lack the confidence that comes with age, wisdom and maturity. My infant award program was timid in the extreme. However with the transition from infancy to adolescence, my program began to take on a somewhat cocky air. Much as I love it, I have to admit that it became somewhat arrogant at times.

This was noticeable at first through it's reluctance to apply for other people's awards, as if there were nothing to be gained from doing so. Then it began to take itself too seriously. At times it was quite amusing to watch my strutting program acting as if all knowledge had been attained.

However many programs go through this stage. It is often only with more experience and the transition from adolescence to adulthood that adolescent programs begin to realise that they do not in fact have the wisdom of Solomon.

Words of wisdom

Anyone that believes that an award program's adolescence is any less demanding on its mother than the birth and development of an infant is in for a rude awakening. However adolescent programs can provide as many rewards for the mother as they can challenges.

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Wendy Sears