Friday, January 22, 2010

Boys, A Survival Guide

So, I'm looking for a book with the above title. Can anyone help me out here? Or maybe I just need an encouraging word or two...from other mothers of past or present 12-year-old boys...

My older son is a good kid. Rather intense, a bit impulsive verbally, often annoying and rude at home, but everyone loves him. He's got a million friends, wins over any adult he sets his mind to winning over, his teachers always say he's a positive presence in the classroom.

He's always been very cautious physically, not the type of kid who would put himself in any kind of danger or take unnecessary risks. Until recently...

So, maybe it's the 12-year-old hormone surge? I should have suspected something when he started doing "free-running" with his buddies after school every day. If you don't know, free-running is a sport involving jumping onto, over and around various elements in the urban landscape. You know, benches, low walls, stairways, cars (!), etc.

Yesterday he ended up in the emergency room after slamming an apartment building front door so hard that the whole plate-glass window broke. No serious harm was done (except to the window!) and no stitches were needed. Nobody died and nobody got too angry at anybody else.

I'm just wondering how long it's going to take him to grow out of this phase. Hopefully before he gets a driving license!

9 comments:

Rosa said...

OOOOh, I wish I had a word of encouragement but I'm glad my boys don't do that. But they tend to be cluts anyway and break toes and fingers regularly.
Coraggio!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I wish I could give encouragement too,but my son who is now 26, had problems in his teens, and now is having help....He is a lovely caring person but has problems, Not saying your son has, but best talk to professionals if you are really worried.

My son is a father of two beautiful children, who he loves, but he has had to move out...but still sees his children every other day.

Saretta said...

Scintilla, thanks for the "corraggio"! :-)

Anne, I'm sorry you and your son have had to face these problems. We will certainly consider counselling if it seems to be the case.

Old Jacques said...

Well I am not a mother, but I used to be a 12 year old boy once, and after various episodes of jumping over fences, doing extra flips in gym class to impress the cute red haired girl, and other such nonsense, some of which resulted in sprains or breaks, it usually is something that you just grow out of, or at least I and all my friends did. Then it moved on to pick up basketball (and twisted ankles or unintentional head butts under the basket) or various bruises and flag football injuries in the quad. But it sounds like it is still normal. As long as he wasn't trying to crash through the window "A-team" style, and it really sounds like it was an accident, I wouldn't worry.

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

Agree with Old Jacques. Of course there's nothing to smile of but I wouldn't worry too much. For now.

Saretta said...

Thanks Jacques and Fabrizio, it was indeed just an accident and I am not worried about my son particularly. Boys will be boys!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Well, I've never had children but I've spent a lifetime teaching them. I think you can blame it all on the hormones!

TEFL Ninja said...

Looking sideways at my nine year old son, you have just created an urge to shove him the freezer from time to time to slow down the transition to pre-teen.

If you find that book...drop me a link !

shopgirl said...

Wow!!

I hope your sons realize how lucky they are that you didn't have a "cow."

I have no idea how I would react to that if I had kids.

xo