Growing Up Fast.

Today was a big day for me. I enrolled The Son in Kindergarten. I knew this day would come, I actually thought about it on the first day of school in our school district because as most of you know, I work for the YMCA and do morning child care at the elementary school The Son will be attending. I thought of it as I saw all the teeny little students exiting their buses and running excitedly toward the school doors and I thought to myself, "Gee, next year, I'll be institutionalizing my child too." I know that sounds horrible and although I AM a certified teacher, I am not the type of mom to homeschool, The Son and I wouldn't make it a week in that situation. He has to GO to school and fortunately we are in a "good" school district. It still makes it scary and somewhat overwhelming. For me. The Son is thrilled.

So it all got me thinking about how quickly children grow up and how as much as we try to protect them, they still hear and see things we don't want them to know about, or at least don't want them to know about so soon in their sweet, young lives.

As I was driving home this morning, I heard a commercial on the radio. I listen to the Classic Rock station, I enjoy it and it's usually appropritate for my child to listen too but today I heard a commercial for a sandwich shop advertising "The biggest Friggin' sandwich ever!"

HUH? WHAT?

When did it become appropriate to use the word "friggin?" on the radio. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what word that word is replacing does it? The Son wasn't with me this morning but I sure wouldn't want him going around using that word, and you know he'd hear it, he hears everything.

I hear children use the phrase , "Oh my God." all the time too and while I am not particularly religious, I still think it sounds offensive, particularly coming out of a five-year-old's mouth. The Son tests me with it on occasion but he knows we say, "Oh my Goodness, Gosh, or even Golly." He often tells me about children who are allowed to say, "Oh my God" and he slowly shakes his head as if he can't believe it. "Butt," "fart," "freaking" (not in the context of "freaking out") "crap," these are all words that I hear children use as a regular part of their vocabularies and while they're not the most offensive words, I just feel like they should be reserved for later in life. Much later. I know kids hear them but I feel as an adult, it's my job to tell The Son that that might not be the nicest way to speak.

I am not a conservative person. As a matter of fact, I consider myself and my views to be quite liberal but I guess I still appreciate some candor and manners with our daily lives and actions. I know I can't be the only one who feels this way. Anyone?

Tomorrow I'll tell you about my big peeve with "On Demand" television.

Have a great day everyone.