i have an aunt who when her baby girl started walking, joked about tripping her. you know, slow that process down a bit. she also had a strict no propping the bottle up on something rule. she was to be cradled and held and loved on by some warm body at each feeding. at the age of thirteen i simply laughed but didn't understand. it was not until i had the urge to jab a stick through the spokes of my barely-five-year-old boys wheel that the light flipped on and i realized that perhaps she was onto something.
just look at the boy go! i am proud, don't get me wrong. i just keep wishing on some lucky star that i will find a way to slow down the ever constant tick-tocking of time. my very first blog post was bragging about this brown haired boys first steps. i cheered and cheered him on without realizing that five short years from then would turn him into a real boy. a boy who instead of kissing my cheeks and telling me he "lubbed me" would be shrugging off my desperate morning hugs and returning my i love you's with short and quiet i know's.
he's a kinderboy with energy and smarts. he is spot on in every subject and is reading above his level. reading books in kindergarten people! it still blows my mind. the highlight of my kindergarten year was learning how to bubble cut all by myself. yes i am so proud of him. but why do our babies have to grow up so fast?
i see young (and i mean younnnnnng) kids walking around with their phones glued to their faces or being cool and independent and dare i say, sexy, via facebook, which is code for completely destroying their hopes of anyone taking them seriously before they are forty-five. last week in target there was a mother/daughter dispute down the stationery isle. if i had to guess i would say the girl was eight at best. so when i heard "you stop it right now or i am taking your phone", you could say i was a little shocked. i just honestly do not understand it. granted i am not there yet. when my boys thought they needed a phone we bought a bright blue one for two bucks at wal-mart and they were good. hopefully it lasts them about twelve more years.
i want to keep them young and innocent for as long as i can. it feels like the impossible task in today's society. part of me wants to be the filter that just blocks everything out, but i know i can't do that. i have come to realize that i am going to have to be the first person to talk to them about the scary things. i honestly believe that it's not going to be good enough to wait until they come home with questions and try to answer them then. i want them to be prepared. i have just been pining over where that line is and praying for teaching moments in our home.
parenting is not for the fainthearted i tell you.
what are your thoughts on this subject?? do you have young kids like me?? do you have teenagers?? what things do you talk to your children about and when??
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