If a 13 y.o. female is boy-crazy, somehow she's more mature than a 13 y.o. who is not boy-crazy and who is busy with other things that interest her- books, music, her dog, crafts, gardening, all things Narnia.
However, if a 25 year old female is boy-crazy, then she's more immature, and we admire the single 25 year old who, while open to the possibility of a boyfriend and marriage, is not looking at the world of single males as happy hunting grounds because she has learned that life can be complete without a boyfriend.
We live in a culture that does not value or even understand a 13 y.o. who can learn that life can be complete without a boyfriend.
Why is it that more interest in boys and less interest in meaningful ideas is mature at 13 when it's the goal for 25?, and think that's mature.
Why is it that we expect our kids to act like pseodo-adults (who are acting like kids) when it comes to sex, music, popular culture, dress, and other surface things- but we don't expect them to be responsible, contributing members of the family unit, to be friendly and civil with adults, affectionate with their parents or to talk about serious ideas rather than frivolous people and subjects?
I could not agree more. I'm noticing the longer we're away from public schooling (well, technically our kids were never in it, but we were) the more apparent the differences become. The other homeschooled girls, religious or not, are not being raised to think about boys all the time. The girls we know from PS are "sophisticated" at 8 years old, wanting multiple piercings, singing songs they don't (I hope) understand, etc., etc., etc. It just reinforces our decision.
ReplyDeleteSo true. So sad.
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