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!