We went camping a while back....in the rain. Boy, can I even begin to tell you how much fun that turned out to be? There were several families present and several kids along for the ride with some of those families. In other words, we were camping with children whose parents were not in attendance. Somewhere along the way some kid (not saying one with or without parents there) wanted a cup of coffee. We are talking 10 - 12 year old kids.....drinking coffee.
So, let me start by saying that if you let your kid drink coffee I'm not being judgmental. Really, I'm not. What I am saying is let's give some thought to what coffee represents. Adults drink coffee. Your kid is not an adult even though they may think of themselves that way and therein lies the problem I'm addressing in this blog. (and let's not even get into the addiction of coffee along with the chemicals)
We live in a society that encourages our kids to grow up way too fast. Television shows for children are depicting children as mini-adults. The fashion industry wants our girls to dress like mini-women. Sports organizations want our boys to train and play like mini-pros. We equip our children with adult electronics (how many very young children do you know with an IProduct?) and we put educational pressure on them that would decimate any but the strongest. It's tough to be a kid these days because practically no one wants them to be one.
As a parent you can do something about this issue. Here are some practical ways to make a difference:
1. Watch, carefully, what they are watching on television. Be aware of adult attitudes modeled by the young actors. If you would not want to hear that dialogue coming from your child's mouth then they shouldn't be watching it.
2. Be watchful for others putting adult attitudes on your kids. Going to a ballgame where parents berate the kid players? Speak up and ask people to stop. Going shopping with your child who definitely has an opinion about what she wants to wear? Be strong and tell her what is not appropriate and what you will allow. It's your money and your parental responsibility to see that she dresses in an age appropriate manner (trust me, when you are older she'll do the same for you! - thank you Leah)
3. Don't give your child every thing they ask for. In a recent Bible class of Kindergartners I asked them to list the things they need. They said a roof, food, air, safety, water, and because we were in a Bible class, Jesus (that's never a wrong answer in Bible class!). At 5 and 6 they knew the difference between what they needed and what they wanted. Your kids do too. They don't need everything they want and they definitely don't need everything you have. You are the adult.....they are the kid.....this is an important distinction. And, guess what, everyone doesn't have that cool thing they want even if they say everyone does. Actually, this is the perfect time to say "and if everyone were jumping off of a bridge would you do that too?". I used to love it when my mom said that one.
Back to coffee. It's not the coffee. It's what the coffee represents. Adulthood and drinking adult beverages makes one an adult. This may sound simplistic and on its own maybe not such a big deal but if you look around you will see many ways in which our society is encouraging our children to prematurely leave childhood behind. We should fight this with everything we have in our parental arsenal. Step up and be the parent. Remember your child is a child and will be a healthier adult with a healthy childhood behind him.
