Tuesday, January 28, 2014

She's In Another World


She’s 9 years old and is in another world.  She talks to herself.  She sings constantly.  She dances around the house.  She draws fairies and mermaids.  She’s oblivious to the world around her.  She leaves stuff everywhere.  She’s happily living in Maddieland.

It can be annoying.  I can’t get her attention.  She takes forever to get anything done because she drifts off into another world.  Often I can’t find her.  Her stuff is everywhere.  When will she grow up?  When will she be more responsible?

She’s 9.  She’s a child.  She’s happy.  What’s wrong with Maddieland?  She’ll grow up.  She’ll mature, just like her older sisters.  What’s the rush?  Childhood is good.  It will end soon.  Let her enjoy it while she can.  Stop being annoyed.  Stop pushing her.  Let her enjoy her childhood.

I think our society does two devastating things to our children.  First, they rush our children through childhood.  Society pushes them to be tweens and teens.  They push them into every kind of fad.  They push into clothes to make them look older.  They push them to listen to music with mature themes.  They push them to watch television and movies that are not acceptable.  Society rushes children through childhood.

Then, society tries to keep children from growing into adults.  Society wants to keep them as irresponsible adolescents.  Don’t grow up.  Make your education last forever.  Continue to live with your parents.  Don’t get a long term job or career.  Play video games all night.  Don’t bother betting married.  Experts actually claim that adolescence lasts until the age of 30.  Society tries to keep children from maturing into adults.

Right now, she is a child.  Her childhood will end soon enough.  In a few years, she will transition to being a teenager, grow in maturity, and accept responsibilities.  She will continue to grow and mature.  By her early 20s, she should grow into a godly, responsible, independent adult.  While that will happen, today she should enjoy “Maddieland” and I should not rush her out of it.

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