May 1, 2008
Teenage Foot Soldier
Posted by kweenmama under Family, learning, teenagers | Tags: Alcohol, Children, Drugs, Influence |There is an ongoing war in our house. Dancer vs. Sports Freaks. Those who play sports like to tease our lone dancer about her choice of activity.
“Dancing is for wimps!”
“Dancers are nothing more than over-grown Barbies.”
“You would never make it through one of our practices.”
Our 12 year old dancer holds her own. “If dancing were easy it would be called football!”
The verbal barbs are said in a good-natured way. The teasing back and forth can last for quite some time and the lopsided war continues. Even threats are used. Older sister, Huh, is a softball player. She is heard to say often, “Hoob, if you ever become one of those snotty, stuck-up, girlie cheerleaders in high school I am going to come back and kick your butt!” And Hoob usually just smiles and walks away.
Since this ”war” hasn’t gotten out of hand I have let it continue. The other day I was in my room making my bed and tuning out the chatter of my children heard throughout the house. Yes, I admit it, I sometimes tune out what the kids are saying to each other. But, I quickly tuned in when I heard Huh say something new to Hoob.
“Hoob, if I ever hear of you doing drugs or drinking alcohol I am going to come and kick your butt!” I stopped what I was doing so I could better hear the reply.
“You won’t have to kick my butt. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Good,” said Huh. “I would hate to have to kick my little sister’s butt.”
I have no idea what led up to that statement, I wish now that I hadn’t been tuning them out, but I was happy to hear it. The unexpected appearance of a teenage foot soldier in the bigger war against drugs and alcohol was thrilling to me. Older siblings can be such an influence for good or bad. I was glad to hear my daughter state this particular position to her younger sister.
Later, after I’d thanked Huh for making the statement to Hoob, she smiled and said, “Well, I will kick her butt. Doing that stuff is just stupid!”
Stupid indeed. If we as a family can stay united on that front, one enemy raging against families will be defeated. That is one war I want to win.
May 1, 2008 at 11:31 pm
That is fantastic! I know that often younger siblings will pay more attention to their older brothers and sisters than mom and dad. Sounds like you and Dad have done a great job!
May 2, 2008 at 1:50 am
This is fantastic. What a wonderful role model your younger daughter has. Younger siblings sure look up to the older ones so I think this is great.
Don’t beat yourself up for tuning out, we all do it at times or we’d end up insane!! Just be happy you heard it. It must make you fee wonderful. Good job mom and dad. That kind of thinking has to come from somewhere and leading by example is key.
May 2, 2008 at 4:00 am
Hurray for you and your family, You have already won the hardest part of the war by providing your children with the stability of not being stupid. Give yourself and Mr. Hub a pat on the back for a job well done.
May 2, 2008 at 4:18 am
It’s good to hear that your teenager feels that drugs are stupid and that she can have an influence upon the younger siblings. We’ve had plenty of discussions in our family about drug abuse, since my husband walked down that road as a teenager before he gave his life to God. I don’t believe my kids would travel down that road either, because they have been taught as the Scripture teaches that their bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, and God doesn’t want them to defile the temple.
I commend your teenage foot soldier!
May 2, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Sounds to me like someone’s doing a really good job raising her family. ;D
May 5, 2008 at 1:59 am
Wow! Can you send me the manual you used to raise your children? That is heavenly. I have a few years to go before these conversations will start in our family, but it is divine to hear something so fabulous in yours!
May 11, 2008 at 12:29 am
You can’t force that kind of accountability, the outgrowth of genuine love.
I hope to (over)hear some similar conversations among my kids someday.
May 30, 2008 at 6:11 am
Kids are America’s most precious and most at-risk citizens. With drugs and peer pressure facing them on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that mental illness and drug abuse is at an all time high. Problems facing American children.