Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Kids growing up

“The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise” Alden Nowlan

When exactly does it hit you that you're kids are growing up and that one day they will leave the nest? It's the day you realize that they don't really need you anymore! Personally I have not quite reached that point although I feel it is drawing close. Expatkid boy has just turned 11 and expatkid girl is 7 heading 17, if you know what I mean.

I drag them across Europe, expecting them to stay well-humored even when our easyjet flight is 5 to 6 hours late, dipping them into diffenrent cultures, plunging into various realities with 3 or 4 diffenrent languages and they take it all in strides. I DO admire them and I am very proud of them. They are little people finding their way in a tough, unpredictable world. Flexibility and adaptability are the key factors in this time and age and they have this down to a fine art. Throw them into any intercultural situtation and they will not only swim and stay afloat, they will make friends and find a way to survive making the best of the situation.

Add a bit of cyberspace, i.e. internet, messenging, facebooking "et al" to it and their survival skills have no limits.

They say our kids are an extention of ourselves....well, I am fascinated to see what my 21st century kids are turning out to be like with a bit of guidance, some clear rules and lots of common sense!




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am enjoying your blog. Love what you say about your kids. Having gotten mine to the age of 21, I now have a chance to sit back and say, whew, we made it.
-- Julia

Expat with Kids said...

Thanks for commenting Julia. This is all very new and very exciting territory for me.

gladys said...

Oh boy. Love this one!!! I am definitely there already, right in the middle of it. One just excited the teenage age and the last one just entered it. But do not fear, they will have moments where you think they dont need you, but when the going gets tough, they will come to you for advice and a shoulder to cry one. Count on it, they will always need you

gladys van Oosterum said...

Love this one!! And boy, am I in the middle of that, luckily they are turning out okay with all these changes

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