Parenting Gets Hard

Part of my purpose of this blog is to give people a peek into the life of an average veterinarian.  Those of you who are parents are going to understand today's discussion.

I have two kids, a son who is almost 9, and a daughter who is 7.  They are great kids and I love them dearly.  Sure, they have their "moments", but they are generally sweet, well-behaved creative and intelligent children.  Though I would never say that parenting is easy, it hasn't been as hard as I believe it's getting ready to be.

My son has started making friends with some other boys in the neighborhood, both older than him.  He has wanted to start riding his bike with them and hanging out.  The extra freedom he wants has brought up several rather sticky subjects.  We've already talked to the kids about strangers and being safe.  But now we have to talk more about other subjects, such as drugs, sex, and other things.  Pretty soon I'm going to need to have "the Talk" with my son.  My wife and I are also trying to figure out just how far we're going to allow him to wander the neighborhood without us watching him.

When I was growing up the world was different.  I would wander by myself in the woods behind my house for hours.  I would ride my bike with friends for several miles.  Yes, there were worries and concerns, but today's world seems so much more filled with predators, drugs, pornography and other bad things that we want to try and protect our kids from.  I see reports on the news about kids, teens, and college-age people who are molested, kidnapped, or murdered and I worry about my own children.  I know that I can't shelter them, but I also don't want to unnecessarily expose them to risk.  It's a delicate balance, giving them a taste of freedom while still keeping them safe.

So yes, I have to have a nice long talk with my son.  And I know my daughter isn't far behind.  Ah, the joys of parenting.