Letting teenagers tend to their own issues — was it a good idea?

It all started with my family’s energy ball craze. Deciding what to eat for breakfast was a constant challenge for me. When I was introduced to energy balls made with chia seeds, flaxseeds, oats, and other healthy ingredients, I was happy. Three energy balls and a coffee became my go-to for breakfast.

It was great. No more indecision.

I wasn’t so happy when my kids decided they also liked them. Not because I didn’t want them to eat healthy, but because they disappeared rather quickly, leaving me with no breakfast.

In particular, 19-year-old Shimmy was totally nuts over energy balls. He offered to buy the ingredients and make them himself. That worked out well until one day there were no more left. At this point, my enthusiasm over this breakfast had disappeared. I didn’t care that much that there were none left, but Shimmy did.

“Mommy, I’m making another batch of the energy balls,” he informed me. “Esty says you need to soak the chia seeds before you form the balls. I’m gonna soak them in this stainless-steel bowl on the counter. Okay?”

And there the chia seeds stayed.

“Shimmy, what’s happening with the chia seeds? When are you making the balls?” I asked him one evening after supper.

“I dunno. I’ll make it later.”

But later he was in bed. The next day, he asked me if I wanted to make the balls. It wasn’t such a big deal for me to do it, but I felt it was his project. He’d started by soaking the seeds. He needed to take care of it.

The bowl stood stoically on the counter for the next two days, irritating me. I won’t make them for him. Let him finish what he started. Don’t get in his way, I thought.

When it was still there on Erev Shabbos, I cringed.

And then I had a flashback.