I set a reminder. Four different times on my phone. She has a project due in a couple of weeks but with alternating weekends at her dad’s I was determined to have her start it. She came up with every excuse in the book until I finally said enough. Get the computer and let’s get started.
We goofed around for the first thirty minutes. Being silly. Her holding up a finger to look like a bad finger. Her laughing and making fun of me. You name it she attempted it. Then I finally said I am done you’re now in middle school figure this out on your own.
So she started to try to recruit other people in the house to help. Finally we accomplished some things. She hugged me and said thanks mom I appreciate your help. Yeah...yeah.
She had to go to a website and pick a current event topic. Write about it and give her opinion. Now having a middle school kid is completely different than elementary school. A lot of questions. A lot of processing how to explain things before just saying it. Her topic she chose was an article on the harm of vaping. She asked if I ever smoked cigarettes I did I said. It was an awful smelly habit. I had to discuss what vaping is and how it’s used and how dangerous it is. How the side effects caused many kids to be in the hospital. It was tough. She was intrigued and kept saying why would someone do this to themselves. She also was aware of it in terms and heard much about it. She said the thought freaked her out. Thank god I thought to myself.
It’s curiosity. We all have it. We all go through it.
A friend of mine said beware kids started experimenting in middle school. I so get it. I remember when I was in middle school. Not something I am ready for my kids to explore at all. But as parents it’s our job to be real and transparent. Explain how dangerous these devices are and what they do to your body.
The article went into depth how dangerous they are. I definitely felt it scared her to even think about it. She had a hard time processing how someone could even attempt to try these things.
Parenting is different then verse now. So many things to consider and educate ourselves on so we can be aware and on the lookout for our kids.
Being an active involved parent is all you can do. Everyday I try my best to stay on top of them to be aware with what they are doing and seeing. It’s not an easy process but a top priority. Having an open communicaton with them. A good relationship and also knowing where to draw the line. My job isn’t to be their friend. My job is to guide them through life.
