When our kids went through high school, my goal was to get them graduated without becoming full-blown partyers or sexually active. I figured that if I could buy that much time, they’d be o.k. going forward in college. While I am sure they did plenty of things that I am not aware of, they came out level-headed with their morals and brain cells intact.
It was helpful that they were late bloomers. Boy-girl parties in middle school that some parents encouraged was something I wouldn’t agree to and that they weren’t comfortable being a part of. Getting drunk on the weekend is not what the group of friends they hung around with did.
I thank my lucky stars that they were successful. Many of the kids they know were not, and on the occasion that they would relate stories of teenage escapades that they had heard about, my jaw would drop.
Right on the floor.
Now that Mallie Bee is in college, there are new freshman stories like the girl on her floor that went door-to-door offering tampons to anyone who wanted them as her mother is able to get them for free. Mal turned them down.
Why would you do that? Free, Mal. Free is good.
This girl had roommate issues early on and before long was trolling the floor looking for a new place to call home. She was very frank about her quirks and living habits, including that she had a boyfriend and they were sexually active. One of Mal’s friends didn’t see that as a stumbling block and took her in. She has found out that sexually active also means often and indiscreet.
Mal figured that if she took her freebies she’d be indebted to her and that was a road she didn’t want to travel.
Late bloomer + astute = smart girl. Very smart girl.