It’s crazy to think – and say out loud – that we have two kids in high school and one in middle school.
Kids growing up and becoming more and more self-sufficient is bittersweet. We’re so proud of all three of our kids, but geez, where has the time gone?
The phrase “time flies when you are having fun” is especially true in our family. We look back on old pictures and videos that seem like yesterday but are really ten years old. Sometimes more.
We recently put a firepit in our backyard and it has become the go-to hangout for our kids and their friends. My wife and I don’t hover when the kids are over. Instead, we sit on our deck and take in the conversations these kids are having.
They talk about boys and girls, school, teachers, sports, and even politics, all while our oldest plays music on his wireless speaker and the kids all join in singing certain tunes.
Yes, despite all this craziness from 2020 and 2021, kids can still be kids.
We just can’t help but wonder what it’s really like to be a kid these days. With social media being what it is, most kids maybe have a false sense of who they are by seeing how many likes and followers they have on their social media posts.
In my opinion, there is nothing further from the truth.
Kids are who they are based on how they were raised and what values were instilled in them. Listening to these 15-20 kids around the fire pit, I’m convinced that kids are still kids and are simply enjoying being a teenager.
For the most part, let kids be kids.
— Matt Mackinder