Saturday, February 12, 2005

My kids are immature, so what?

This is just a general rant, meant to go out to no one in particular. But, my kids are immature. They don't dress in the trendiest clothes, and they don't know the hottest act on MTV. My boys are totally unaware that there is such a thing as "sneaker"-envy ... or the social value of wearing an expense coat. My oldest is only 10, but he doesn't wear gel in his hair, and I've never EVER heard him say he wouldn't play some game - be it freeze tag or anything - because it was "too babyish.'

Sure, you might say they are young ... just wait. But, when I am out (in church, or other places) I SEE kids his age, and younger ... with their cool hair, and cool clothes, and slack-jawed expression of being "oh-so above" whatever activity they are being forced to endure. They are smug, and whisper to each other snide comments about someone else and tease and are mean. I see these same kids at my daughter's dance class ... on the first day of the year, this group of future mean girls teased a little 6-year-old with such cruelty, that it was difficult for me to not intercede - a risky proposition in this day and age of 'overprotective-my-angel-does-nothing-wrong' parenting.

My kids are immature. They are friendly to everyone they meet, and would never exclude anyone for any reason (even if they were five years younger then them.) They are happy, and excitable. They are not perfect, and at times I'm ready to pull my hair out. And, they could spend an entire day playing PS2 if I let them (which I don't). But, they have not learned the nasty, back biting, exclusionary, overly mature for their years attitude I see so prevalent today. Whenever I second guess my decision to home school ( a decision that was motivated primarily by the fact that I live in an AWFUL school district) - I remind myself that they are not being taught their "social" skills at school.