Lots of articles talk about the benefits of raising children in a two parent household. No question about it, raising kids complicates your life, costs a fortune (the braces go on today...), and we only have one. Families with multiple kids really have their hands full.
Lately we've been noticing some trends. Maybe its the age. Matt and his classmates are in 7th grade now, and their hormones are starting to flow. They're testing their boundaries, getting more independent, and trying new things-not always very bright things.
The girls are chasing the boys, and the boys are chasing the girls. Girls calling the house and asking for Matt is a daily routine. Gossip and rumors abound, and hurt feelings result. And for some of the boys, the grades are not all pretty. We're seeing that, too.
In addition to two parents in the home, we've started expanding the parenting boundaries. We live in a fairly tight knit community with most of the kids attending the same school, playing sports and doing other activities together. The parents know most of the kids, and the kids know most of the parents.
As parents, in addition to caring for our own kids, we watch out for our neighbor's and friend's kids too, and we openly talking about it with the kids.
Maybe the kids like it; they're probably not excited about it. We don't know how this will work out. Whatever happens, it's somewhat reassuring to be in a place with lots of people willing to give it a try.
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