Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Growing Up Too Fast

WARNING : I've been thinking about this post for a while. Recent conversations/events have prompted me to "put my thoughts on paper." If I upset you --which I've been known to do-- just add this to the growing list.

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child_pagaentIs it just me or does our society have some kind of fixation with wanting kids to grow up...as fast as possible? When I was a kid, many moons ago, we looked forward to certain milestones: the Junior/Senior Prom and Senior Graduation for instance. Today, there's Kindergarten Graduation, Fifth Grade Graduation, Eighth Grade Graduation, and finally, Senior Graduation. I only graduated once. I'm pretty sure it "took" that one time.

We also have the Sixth Grade Dance, the...oh, heck--just Slap-A-Grade-In-Front-Of-It Dance or Formal and that should cover it. I even heard about some kids that arrived at their Eighth Grade Dance in a LIMO! Getting to go to the Junior/Senior Prom was a big deal at our school. And you had to be a Junior or Senior to attend. I went both years...had a blast.

Then you've got stuff like beauty pagaents for little kids. Parents dress them up in adult looking clothes, complete with adult looking makeup. Since when was a three or four-year-old dressed up/made up like a two dollar hooker or a 30-year-old model considered CUTE?! Actually, I've seen some teens that look like that, too. And while I'm at it, I'm really wondering what parents are thinking when they let their daughters leave the house with their bra straps hanging out, their cleavage pushed out, and their low-rise jeans emblazoned with some catchy phrase or logo across their backside? (NOTE: Our pastor said recently, "If it's not for sale, rent or lease...dont' be advertising it." Makes sense to me.)

What's wrong with kids just being kids? They grow up fast enough as it is. And, frankly, they don't need to "graduate" from every stinkin' grade they pass. What's wrong with having just one or two special formal/type events IN YOUR ENTIRE schooling, i.e grades K-12. What in the world is there to look forward to if it's a yearly event? And I'm not advocating everyone dress like June or Ward Cleaver, but for crying out loud---PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! I'm tired of seeing your underwear.

Funny thing is, we have our kids growing up, looking like grownups, dressing like grownups, attending all of these "grownup" type events...then we get upset when they do something "grownup" like [fill in adult behavior here]. I think we're sending some mixed signals here.

6 comments:

Rick Beckman said...

The odd thing is that even though society is pressing so-called "maturity" onto kids -- adult dress, adult events, whatever -- it doesn't seem as though kids are maturing at the same rate.

In times past, not only were people maturing much earlier, but they were adults, working, and earning their keep as early as 13 years old.

Today, though, we're pushing kids to embrace adulthood as soon as possible, but nothing is being done to actually help these people mature.

Keith said...

Rick : Very true. Most kids today don't have near the work ethic of previous generations. None of them want to work, but they feel they are entitled to EVERYTHING...one of the downfalls of the "participation trophy" mentality.

nacotaco said...

It worries me when my 6 yr old daughter sees that stuff on TV.....gives me an oppportunity to discuss God who sees the inside and the beauty of the soul who follows Christ. She is receptive now but I fear peer pressure is starting early. Hi Keith, I am saddened to see the kids imitating there mothers and how elated "mom" is when she wins...King Solomon ruled the mom was the one who put her child first above what she wanted "a whole child instead of half"...it is sad when mom comes before child....take care keith =]

Keith said...

Nancy: Don't give up on teaching your daughter. Keep plugging away!

nacotaco said...

=] thanks keith! God won't let me either!

Little Town Big Life said...

Amen brother!!! I have been threatening for years to start dressing (undressing) like teen & tween girls. But I'd probably be arrested--not for lewd exposure, but for LOUD exposure. Loud protests!!

One of the saddest happenings of our age is that (obviously) mirrors have been removed from homes, and parents have become very, very nearsighted--even with corrective lenses!!