Okay, I know I've been MIA for a bit now but it's not without good excuse. I had the flipping flu and it sucked!!!!! 7 days later and I still don't feel right. Anyhow that's not saying nothing has gotten on my nerves enough for me to write about though...come on now.
Today I listened to someone that actually thinks if they shield their child from even the mere existence of alcohol that they will somehow be preventing said child from partaking. If that is how you've chosen to raise your child, more power to you, but I'm fairly sure you won't be preventing anything.
I was raised in the great state of Utah. Parents in Utah invented bubble raising and it's an art there. The poor kids I went to school with were completely sheltered from any real world experiences. Those kids are taught that people are always perfect, never drink, gamble, swear, have in indecent thoughts, have sex outside marriage, etc. I wasn't raised amongst heathens but my parents didn't lie to me either. I had cousins that got pregnant young, drank, had trouble in school and I knew of people that weren't perfect. My parents let me watch the Simpson's and Married with Children when no one else would dare let their kids see that "filth". Guess who wasn't having sex at 12...Sarah! Guess who wasn't drinking at 9...Sarah! I didn't need to because I wasn't told how taboo it was my whole dang life. Now I am not saying that you should let your 5 year old watch R or even PG 13 rated movies and expose them to Eminems greatest hits but I definitely think that sheltering them is setting yourself up for a heap of disappointment. I may just be an odd duck but from my extensive research (judging my friends and family) I have discovered that those friends that were "bubble raised" did a whole lot more living than I did. Aiden knows how the world is run. He knows that I'm not perfect and he knows that people aren't always nice. We haven't got to sex ed just yet but I can guarantee I won't be telling him that babies are brought by storks. On occasion I have saved a Dr. Phil episode that deals with out of control kids to show Aiden what crap doesn't fly in Cooper town. He knows what alcohol is and gasp we even keep it in the house (I know how awful!) but he is also well aware of what happens when it's abused (also thanks to Dr. Phil episodes). I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to keep real world experiences from my children. This all being said I'll admit I was no where near the perfect teenager. God gave me a "spunky" mouth. Unfortunately I used it poorly and Joy was usually at the receiving end. I got in fights and spent a fair amount of time with Stockdale Highs dean of students but dangit I wasn't drinking and hoeing it up so give me that.
Not much has changed over the years. I still have a loud mouth and am not much of a drinker but I think if my kids turn out like me I'll be lucky. I credit my rather successful life with the fact that my parents didn't "protect" me from life. I was raised a realist and I'm raising 3 more. If anything I've said offends you then talk to me in 10 years when you can prove me wrong.
Please God Cooper children, don't screw up as teens because it's going to make your mother seem like such a jackass.
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