On my son's 11th birthday the typical worries that come with that territory that I have been ignoring, come flooding back. Aside from the fact he asks way too many questions he seems to understand most of the answers. One can't get away with diversionary tactics or gibberish. You are faced with the realisation that this is truly a young adult in the making when he starts giving you tips to save money or suggests improvements to your time management skills. The bittersweet emotions of watching children grow up are only intensified when you realise they are no longer comfortable with you hugging or cossetting them.
With each passing year one dreads the onset of the teens and although most teenagers do seem like alien creatures I am hoping my son will be a lovable alien. Yes they are grumpy, short tempered, reclusive, rumour has it they also smell:-) and take every opportunity to defy authority but is it all bad? After all the most crucial years when a young person finds his/her grounding and starts forming opinions cannot be belittled. I think most of the behavioural issues that kids exhibit at this age stem from the fact that they no longer can take cover in our shadows and feel the heat of the sun full on. They may not reach out like before but the truth is they need us even more.Often the most desperate cries for help are the quietest....
Parenting is by no means a walk in the park and I often find myself wanting a 'Parenting for dummies'. One has to strike such a fine balance between supporting yet not curbing their independence. I think parents should be like an umbrella - a crazy comparison I know - that umbrella we keep safely tucked away in a forgotten cranny of our bag as we go about our business but the second the downpour starts, out they come faithful as ever. Good parenting is that subtle blend of holding on and letting go.......sounds worse than rocket science.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDo_JBFgH3k
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