A Little Over Protective with a Side of Paranoia

from sodahead.com

I have to share with you what I observed on Friday and the revelation that it brought me to….

On Friday evening the local high school (where my kids will attend in a few years) was having a big home game. I had encouraged my son to go because they wanted all the future football players to be present on the crowd. After a long week of games and homework…he wasn’t having any of that so my tired kiddo stayed home. However…I had already bought the tickets so I decided to take my daughter who was very eager to go. I thought this was strange because my daughter could really care less about football.

We get to the game and shortly after sitting down a “young man” with semi-baggy short, a faux hawk and some funny looking plastic glasses (given to the kids at a party earlier in the day) seems very interested in sitting next to my daughter. Amber quickly brushes me off and they go to sit together on the bench in front of us. I just looked over at my mom and mouthed the words “Here we go…” with an eye roll.  Obviously she must’ve planned this with her “friend” from school because we could see he was expecting her to be there.  Now I can see where tis new found interest in football had come from!

My daughter is not even 12 yet….her father and I have warned her that there will NOT be any dating before at least 16 so she should just forget the word “boyfriend” until then. It seems that kids are SO advanced these days. she told me….”well, his parents let him date.”  I thought…oh sure…that’s just wonderful.  As I’m trying to enjoy the few “innocent” years my daughter has left….I’m being rushed because she tries to act so much older than she is.  I look back to when I was that age and things then were so different.  I think I was still playing with barbies, care bears and pound puppies (showing my age) when I was 11.

My daughter was very upset with me because I wouldn’t let her hang out under the bleachers with other kids her age during the game. Let me explain this to you – it was very crowded with adults and kids alike…no security there and even though we live in a nice area, it doesn’t mean predators aren’t hanging out in places like this to find their next victim. Am I crazy?  Halfway into the 2nd quarter I needed to use the restroom and was shocked to find how many kids…most looked even younger than middle school…were running around down there by themselves. Where are their parents??? I thought. Anyone could grab any kid at any moment and no one would be the wiser. Predators are smart….they are calculating and they know how not to get caught.

Then, on Saturday night I brought my son and his friend to the movie theater. I drove them and dropped them off right in front, and watched them go in. When the movie was over I pulled up to the door early and waited for them to come out. As I’m sitting there I see a group of really, really young kids….maybe 8-10 years old with NO adults to be seen. They were waiting to be picked up. It was almost 11pm at night and they are just hanging outside the theater. It amazes me that parents let their kids do this. Don’t they realize anything could happen?

This is when the revelation occurred to me. I have become my mother. My mom was very protective of me as a child and even a bit paranoid….she still is. But, you know….I was always safe and I think I had a good upbringing because of it. My kids might hate me now for all the times I say NO when their friends’ parents say yes but they will thank me when they are older and wiser.

In the meantime I’m going to try not to watch so much CSI reruns….

F**k It! It’s Friday

Can I call today “F**k It! It’s Friday” Friday? Because that’s the way I really feel after the week I’ve had.

The weeks leading up to school starting again are exhausting.  In the last few days I have battled the crowds of school supply hungry mothers at Walmart, decided on and ordered new “grown up” furniture for my son’s room and spent all day yesterday with my two arguing children while attending middle school orientation day.  The fact that on most days this summer they have rarely opened their eyes before the afternoon hours and stay awake until witching hour…did not help.

This was me last night (well, I’m not that hairy)

If this is a sign of the months to come, I’m not sure that I will make it to Christmas!  It’s funny how moms of very young children think that the toddler years are hectic and exhausting.  I am officially telling them that IT GETS WORSE.  I wouldn’t mind having little ones again.  The most I’d have to worry about is changing diapers and what kiddie show to watch on TV.

Having children of the ages almost 12 and 14 brings a whole other set of problems.  I won’t even go on that rant but I can tell you that as kids get older, they change.  They change in ways you can’t even imagine.  Hormones are terrible, terrible things and they can make you wake up one day and wonder whose children are living in your house.  I never know what to expect one day to the next.  I also am a firm believer that girls are SO much harder than boys.

Look Familiar?

My son went through a mouthy and somewhat dramatically angry phase when he was around 10-11 years old.  He was a pretty difficult baby/toddler too who always demanded lots of attention.  He still gets the first place drama queen award however he now is easily satisfied (food, video games etc)  and for the most part, very consistent with his attitude.  Once I get past the dirty gym sock smell of his mostly always messy boy room, he’s tolerable.

My daughter on the other hand is like this:

Tick…Tick…Tick..

Or maybe even a little like this:

Who is it today?

Some days I’ve found out that it is best to just keep my mouth shut.  It seems to tame the monster and keep the transformation at bay.  Overall, dealing with a pre-teen girl is like taming a wild horse. I honestly don’t remember being this way when I was young — although my mother might disagree.  I definitely feel more sympathy for my parents now (especially mom) than ever before.

As we enter the last week of summer before all hell breaks loose I will try to visualize my children as they were back in their “cute” stages of calling me mommy and spontaneous kisses before I act on my frustrations brought on by hormone-riddled tantrums (theirs, not mine). Thankfully these days will not last forever…… however this is bittersweet because once they are over, so are their childhoods.

I think I might go home tonight, pour a glass of wine, sit down in front of the TV, poop in my DVD of Elmo-Palooza and have a good cry.