Tweens.
Our daughter turns 12 in a few days. Here the transition to 'upper grader' happens at 7th grade. It is much like becoming a freshman in high school because of the way the campuses are integrated.
As a result of this new 'upper grader' status and all the many changes that come with it, my daughter fancies herself a teenager.
All you folks out there who have gone through the transition, will laugh and know what I'm going through.
All those who have yet to face it, consider this your warning.
Currently my home is no longer my castle, it is in fact, my daughter's castle. And we, her humble servants.
At least I am tempted to say that is what goes on in her mind.
As a result my wife and I are making attempts to get to know her friends more and become involved in youth ministry.
For those of you in youth ministry, I applaud you. How you can look at a kid and say 'they have a good heart' and desire to foster that, is a gift beyond my comprehension.
I instead look at the kids and say 'these boys are going to want to date my daughter FAR too soon.' It has to be a hard thing to look at a kid and recognize that they have growing up to do. I look at a kid and forget that and somehow think 'they're going to be like this their whole lives.'
Patience in the growing process.
My house has been turned upside down a bit. Dad is suddenly requested to do a lot of projects without warning, that MUST be completed immediately. I don't understand this, but other fathers tell me ..'yes, it's true, something happens to their brains and they can't think ahead.'
'Dad, I have to leave for school in 2 minutes and I need you to build me an invention for school, can it be done in 30 seconds?'
'Dad, I need you to construct a replica of the Eiffel tower with toothpicks in the next three moments, please hurry.'
Is it any wonder that this is also the time that teenagers begin to realize their parents are not in fact, super heroes?
I'm unable to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but given enough time, I could probably climb tall ladders in a short time, and then spend the next few days icing my knees.
I am learning however, that when confronted with an unreasonable expectation, and an emotional young girl wondering why I can not conjur school supplies from thin air, the BEST way to react is a loving and patient, 'I love you and want to help, but I am unable to do it immediately.'
And then for fun I throw in 'because you see, I spent all morning using my super powers at work this morning and I'm tired out.'
The point of this blog, is about life here. My wife and I are involved in youth ministry now, but only just. We are planning activity days, every 3 weeks. It seems there is no MALL here to hang out at, no movies to go see, no mini-golf to go do. So 4 adults band together for a group of kids (we have 40 7th and 8th graders), and we plan a night. We become the MALL, the theatre, the ... hang out place.
Last week we made up a life size version of battleship that involved dodge balls. Soon we'll be doing something else... but I can't say what it is in case any kids read the blog.
That's part of life here. The kids go to church and bible study, but we also know they need times to simply have FUN together. My wife and I (and another couple) are in charge of manufacturing that FUN.
As someone once said, 'sure there is LESS to do, but that hasn't really turned out to be a problem.'
