Life lessons

It's been a tough week for the family of Fitfreak.  As some of you may know, I have three children, ages 11, 9 and 7.  They are my sunshine, my pride and joy, my everything.  With that said....I can tell you that being a parent is the hardest thing on the planet.  Notice I did not say "job" because, really, this ain't no job.   A job you are paid for, recognized for and get time of off.  Being a mom is not an occupation or job....it's a vocation.     And like any vocation, one has to deal with difficult issues that arise from time to time.  For my 7 year old, such issues could be not having any more Life Cereal in the pantry.  For my 9 year old, a life breaking moment could be a missing homework assignment.  But as they grow older, the stakes go up.  

This week I have had to explain three major life lessons to my 11 year old daughter.  I blogged the first, which was the sex ed night at her middle school.  It turned out to be a very informative meeting and was very well done by the staff and administration of the school.  I was impressed.  Very impressed.  So much so that I came home and asked my daughter (privately of course) if she knew what an erection was. She paled, stuck her fingers in her ears and bolted from the room, vehement that she NOT know what an erection was/is.  Well, she is going to find out one way or another....most likely, when she has her sex ed segment in school.  Here I tried to be the mom on the job and give her the facts.  Guess what?    She is completely 100% not interested in hearing them from me.  Fine.  Duty done.  Let the school handle it.

Lesson number 2.  This one has been around for a week or so.  Jamie Lynn Spears, 16, preggers.  What shocked me about this one was that my sweet little girl knew JLS was knocked up before I did!  Once again, I ask privately to talk with her and gently break the news that her favorite TV star is with child.  She looks at me like I live under a rock and says "yeah, like mum, I knew that yesterday!  Whatever!"  OK - so I proceed with how inappropriate it is for a 16 year old GIRL to be a mother and even compared JLS to our 16 year old babysitter.  That gave her pause and  seemed to sink in a bit.  She can't imagine the 16 year old babysitter pushing a stroller around the hood.    Sort of a reverse image???  Anyhoo, we ended the conversation with me telling her that JLS is a naughty, naughty girl and having sex before you get married is illegal.  That oughta take care of that!

Lesson number 3.  Ouch, now this one really sucks.  My daughter struggled a bit in 4th grade and had a social lunch group with several other girls and the school adjustment counselor over the course of the year.  Adjustment counselor is code for guidance person......it's the PC version these days.   I hear this morning that the esteemed counselor was arrested for drug possession and distribution.  Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhttt????  Are you  kidding me?  This trusted person, who encouraged my daughter to make good choices, take responsibility for her actions, to trust and reach out to others, was distributing and taking drugs?  Okay, no one is perfect, and we ALL make mistakes.....but....she is 47 years old and an elementary school counselor for god's sakes!  Get a grip lady!  I can feel the anger bubbling up, wait, yes...... I am furious!  So here we go again...I call my daughter in to the kitchen and ask her to read the article in the newspaper.  As she finishes the article, she looks up at me with sadness in her eyes and says "but mum, she was so nice!"  How the hell do you explain this one?  I tell her that said adjustment counselor has some problems, she needs our prayers, she made bad choices, blah, blah. 

Now I confess that I am a tad conflicted because while I am so pissed off, I do feel bad for the lady.  Her life is over.  Totally.  But why do I have to explain her mistakes to an innocent child?  Why do I have to explain JLS's mistake to an 11 year old child.  

I guess this is the way it is these days.  It just isn't easy anymore.  Maybe it never was.