The problem with kids now days...

On Saturday morning the scouts had a fund raiser in our neighborhood. They stopped by our house before we were ready for the day so we told them that we would bring a check over later. A few hours later, a lone scout came back by our house to collect their money. As I wrote the check, I noticed that the form they gave us had the wrong name on it. It was one of our neighbors with the same last name. I gave the form back (along with the check) to the kid and told him that it wasn't us. He gave me a blank look so I explained again that we were not the people on the pre-printed form. The poor kid. He had no idea what to do. I guess I shouldn't call him a kid, he is old enough to drive. All I wanted him to do was know for future reference that the had the wrong people.

As I shut the door and walked away I had the thought "the problem with kids now days is that they don't know how to think outside the box and deal with unexpected situations". Then I had to laugh at myself because that is such an old geezer way to think. Let me get out the dentures and depends.

My next thought was " how can I teach my kids to deal with the unexpected?" I grew up living by the motto fake it till you make it. As a small town, home schooled, socially awkward kid who wanted with every beat of her heart to be "normal", I had to fake it quite a bit as almost every situation was new. I do a lot for my kids. I run interference between them and the world. I would never want them to have the childhood I did but maybe I should let them stand on their own a little more- solve their own problems more often. My goal as a parent has always been to prepare my kids to deal with the world, not protect them from it. (of course I protect them!!! they are still so little- I guess I should say my LONG term goal). I have rambled a bit of my original topic- hope you enjoyed the read.