Year of 365

August 13

I saw something the other day that says that children don't have a childhood anymore. They are talking about how they're dating earlier, worrying about their future, and doing things that adults should be doing. And it got me thinking. How much of a childhood did I have? 

I know I did, but at the same time, I don't remember a time when I wasn't being told about my future. When I was three, they asked us what we wanted to be when we got older. My parents started telling me that how I acted wouldn't be good when I started working when I was eight. And they're doing the same for my brother. We're given homework every summer to do, and my parents pressure me to study and study and study. Or work and work and work. And whenever I complain about being tired, they just say welcome to the real world. 

When they say welcome to the real world, it makes me so angry, my feelings are indescribable. It's like a volcano has been planted deep within me and every time I hear someone say "Welcome to the real world" I'm ready to spout lava at them, burning them. I feel like I should be able to complain at home and just be allowed to let it all go. But, apparently, that's not what my parents think. One thing comes out of my mouth about being stressed, and I hear, "Well life isn't easy."

Believe me, I know! You think I don't! I've witnessed people argue because of stress and lack of time together which leads to a lack of communication! I've seen my brother cry because even as a child, not even a teenager yet, he's being told that with the attitude he has now, he's never going to be able to work. And I hate it. If this is what the world does to people, I'm not sure that this is the world that we should be living in. 

We need a childhood, and anyone who says otherwise is lying, to everyone and to themselves. We need to learn how to be children before we can learn to be adults, and we can't do that when we're worrying about every little thing! We hear again and again "this needs to be done by this date" or "this might come back to haunt you in the future". 

Just shut up! I don't say that a lot, but know it's time to. My children aren't going to grow up worrying about their future. They're going to get to be children. I'll let them play outside in the mud until the sun goes down, I'll read to them as long as they want, and I'm not going to force them to work out every little work habit from early on. They'll grow up and figure it out for themselves. I know that I have to prepare them for the real world, but until they're teens, that's not going to be a priority. They're going to have a childhood.