Last week, my daughter pulled a stunt that got me thinking about the stages of childhood. Infancy, toddlerhood, the preschool phase and adolescence. The level of creative thought behind said stunt made it clear to me that we are well approaching the stage of adolescence.
That beautiful, bright-eyed angelic figure you see before you proved to me that she wears her halo a little tilted. Because she would rather be stimulated through play, than sit in the structured activities of a classroom, Jalia constructed a plan that resulted in her cutting class for half the day. Her school has an early and late bell schedule, as well as a before and after-school program. She happens to be a Late Bird. There is a point of overlap between late bell schedules and the after-school program, and it was there that Jalia set her plan into action. During recess, she thought it’d be a good idea to lie to her after-school program teacher and tell her that she was not a Late Bird, but an Early Bird, therefore, she would go straight to the after-school program following recess instead of returning to class. At a glance, pretty impressive strategy skills and guts on her part, however, of course there are a million reasons why she was wrong in flexing her creativity muscle in this way.
She’s 6 1/2 years old! I thought I didn’t have to worry about going over all the reasons why cutting school isn’t cool until those teenage years. Apparently, its these tween years that are the true years of discovery. It is also the concept of the tween that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. You see, “tween” isn’t even a stage of childhood, but rather, a business built from the fabric of popular culture and mass marketing of “teen” practices and lifestyles to girls who are not. In other words, instead of the broad category of adolescence – where puberty is the first stop on the bus to adulthood, mothers of girls are now having to add makeup and the latest fashion trends to conversations with their 6 to 12 year olds. It can be argued that the age range is more like 6 – 15, because the lines of what it means to be a little girl and a teenager become more blurred with each new tween pop sensation on the rise.
I don’t know about the rest of you mothers of girls, but I am not ready! I wanna ring the bell, and linger in the old school notions of the preteen. Back when there really was a “pre” to becoming a teenager, and Britney had not yet introduced us to the idea of “not a girl, not yet a woman”.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Seriously, I read this after writing my response to Traci on FB and then felt like a moron because your post said what I tried to but much more eloquently. At any rate, the tween term bothers me so much. I refuse to let my daughter get caught up in this mess (although I know that it’s so hard to control that). I’d be lying if I said that this isn’t part of the reason that I am homeschooling. The truth is, I would move to an isolated mountain top if it meant that I could avoid the commercialization and objectification of my child. The more I read about the experiences of other parents the more worried I get about raising a daughter…
What gives me faith is knowing that other good parents recognize these issues are doing what they can to combat them. Good parenting for you.
Kristina Brooke´s last blog ..Wednesday Dinner: Onion Mushroom Burgers with Mashed Potatoes
The article you posted was right on time. The Cyrus family presents a host of teaching moments these days, lol. After writing my post, and seeing your FB post, I noticed a bloggy friend also voiced her frustrations with the path that these girls are on, and the impact these girls have on our girls as role models. Take a look…
http://immoralmatriarch.com/remember-when-i-called-billy-ray-cyrus-a-pimp/
Its just so interesting because the 6 to 12 year old boy is NOT targeted in the same ways that girls are, even though you have pop groups out like the Jonas Brothers. Why?
Disney: A well crafted carefully executed plot to merchant adulthood to children. Not a good thing. At Kraft we always used to talk about the fact that younger kids always wanted what the older kids had. Well, now they do.
So true. And its working. With all of the merchandise its hard at times not to consume. My daughter is sleeping on Princess and the Frog bedding right now! While Princess Tiana isn’t out on tour in booty shorts sliding down the pole, childhood is still branded.
I am taking notes. I am starting motherhood all over again after a 16 year stint. I have to admit the 6.5 year old would give me a run for my money and I would have believed her too. She’s so CUTE
Ok, Ok, I will remain focused and realize that we are IN charge of their journey and must not falter NO matter how cute they are!
Great Post! Off to check out your blog
tanyetta´s last blog ..Fair Game
Congratulations on your new little one Tanyetta, how exciting! Take those notes girl =)… being one step ahead of the kids always requires a working list, its never complete because there is always some new aspect/tactic/whatever to tend to and contend with.
To believe or not believe is always a balancing act =). Its more like, ‘to take into consideration or not take into consideration’. I am sure you will do just fine with your new little one… we’ll always be here to have your back.
Barbara´s last blog ..Momspotting… A Meme
With each generation, the game changes and therefor so must the strategy. Many a chagrin at my philosophy, but navigating this consumer heavy, sex/uality obsessed society leaves you two options, beat ‘em or join ‘em, and I don’t play well with others.
Acknowledging Ms. J’s current stunt as a call to action is just the right move. I applaud you for examining her behavior in its entirety and then planning accordingly. I agree there is the siren song of media luring our children every which way but loose, but in the end good parents champion the ship!
t. allen-mercado´s last blog ..Free
I wanna champion the ship! I wanna champion the ship! =)
Barbara´s last blog ..Momspotting… A Meme