Lying down on the couch on Saturday, I was half focused on a programme on the tv and feeling a little sleepy. Bradley wandering across the room and though not looking directly at him, I noticed that he bent down and picked up something off the floor in front of the other couch. Now I couldn't see what he had picked up because of the angle I was lying on the other couch and he carefully concealed what was in his hand while moving in the direction of his bedroom.
"I'm just going to lie down in private for a while, mom." "Okay Bradley", I answered. He turned and reiterated that he needed privacy! Now that was enough to wake me up. My eldest son sometimes smokes in the lounge and I had noticed earlier that Dael had left half a cigarette in an ashtray on the floor in the lounge from when he was sitting on the floor listening to music. "Oh no", I thought in dismay, "Not another child succumbing to the habit".
I quietly moved to Bradley's room. His bedroom door was ajar and through the open crack I could see him snuggled up under his duvet cover, not catching a quick puff as I had feared but playing with his little toy motorbike in the privacy of his own room! I ducked back to the lounge before he saw me. What a relief.
Up until he turned 13 in December last year, he always received little toy men in various themes - army men, pirates, knights of old, etc. But since December last year he had announced - no more toys for Christmas or birthday. We did in fact sneak in one or two toys for Christmas but this was top secret and diligently concealed from his brother who welcomes any opportunity to poke fun at his wannabe teenager younger sibling. The little guy still likes playing with his neglected toys now and again.
So no smoking yet for my little chap or hopefully ever!
This is one of the most heartening things I've read in a while. Just yesterday a psychologist friend was telling me some hair raising things about the teenagers he see.
ReplyDeleteKeep on thinking that I am getting ahead at work, but struggle. Will do a post about it tomorrow
Love this!!! It's nice when you see them maintain a little of their innocence in a world bent on destroying that! The heartaches come too quickly...Thank you for stopping by!!! I'm so glad you did, as you led me to your wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet post. Thanks so much for your lovely comments on my blog earlier. I'm feeling a lot better now.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a lovely post! Kids need to play for as long as possible and its great that he does still from time to time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Sometimes we are too fearful, but then.....!
ReplyDeleteLovely story...you had better just hope that he won't read this.
awh sweet :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a touching story,about the need to play in all of us, the need to nurture our inner child.
ReplyDeleteI always fear the worst. Luckily, it's usually not the worst:)
ReplyDeleteThe protection of a mother's heart!
ReplyDeleteSpear - I used to hear some harrowing tales from my own daughter about her friends and their relationships with their parents and I used to wonder why the parents and their children had to become enemies just because the children became teenagers. Hope you manage to catch up as work.
ReplyDeleteSniffles - I think that particularly boys have very defined norms of what kind of behaviour is acceptable at a particular age and I give my little guy space to still do what he likes to do at home without being teased.
Greenpanda - I'm glad if what I wrote helped you to feel better.
FF - He keeps telling me that its time to sell his toys but I just tuck them away and he finds them when he wants them.
Moannie - If he ever finds this post, hopefully he will be mature enough to enjoy it too.
Miss T - Thanks!
Lakeviewer - I try to encourage childlike behaviour. Its important to always be in touch with your inner child. It helps one to view every day as a new experience.
Travel girl - Doesn't every mother. It becomes engrained in moms to try and preempt their kids from doing anything to hurt themselves.
TTWC - You know it as well as I do!
My mom said that she used to sneak into her doll house to play with her dolls at 14. I started babysitting so I could play and get paid for it!
ReplyDelete