Pick 'n' Peck

This, being my first blog, i should firstly touch on a little about me, and a little about 'why' i've decided to start a blog.

I am a 40 year old mother of 3 boys, aged 13, 11 and 7. I've always wanted to write about something, but haven't come across anything particularly of interest to firstly write about, and secondly, something that others may find of interest.

Until today. Recently I have felt very much thrown into the 'new age era' with my sons so quickly entering their teenage years. I am, on a daily basis reminded of the trials and tribulations that come with such an age. However I don't want to use the word 'recently' 'loosely' as i guess the trials and tribulations have always been there from day one with my sons, but i find their current testosterone fuelled personalities and bodies, that i now face, are somewhat more complicated than the innocent, unknowing personalities of those they harboured as toddlers.

I've decided to title this blog 'pick n peck'. As most of the topics I think I will find myself discussing is the constant 'picking and pecking' that children of such an age are faced with. Really it is no different to the 'world that was' when I was a child embracing my teenager years. The bullying, the pecking order at school, the wanting to 'fit in' with all the cool clothes, cool kids and cool toys, and always wanting to keep on top of the newest 'gadgets' that were available 'back in my day'.

But it's different. Todays 'new' generation are living in a completely different world. With electronics, flashy toys, more 'play stations' in general that i can possibly afford to keep up with, and then theres 'social networking'. And this, in a nutshell, was pretty much what prompted me to start my blog.

My two eldest sons are both on facebook. A decision I didn't make easily. My logic was, if 'I' didn't give them my permission (on the condition i GET their passwords AND I am permitted to keep up with their daily activities on this site), then they would DO IT anyway! Be it at school, at their friends house, on their phones, their ipods, their lap tops, the list is on going. And if this was to be the case, then by doing it behind my back, I would have no access, or knowledge of what was going on. I was better off to 'go with the flow and times'.

I have witnessed several times with my friends, and their children. The parent says NO to any form of social networking, and their child just went ahead and did it anyway. Besides, how was Mum and Dad going to find out.? its easy, isn't it.? you just set up a hotmail (or similar) account and WHAM.....no notifications to your families 'home email' at all..they do it, and they do it so easily, and the parent has NO CLUE as to what is going on.!

I wasn't going to choose this path with my boys. I wanted to know, what was being said, when and if there was bullying problems. I gave them my word i would not read their private messages, and i have stuck to that. To me, it is no different to 'snail mail'. It comes wrapped, and its private. But when it comes to their 'wall' or feeds, that all their friends can see....i want access to read that too.

I could have easily had access simply by 'friend requesting' my children. But to that i decided NO. I do not want my children having access to my 'adult feeds'. Double Standards? perhaps. I get to see their 'cyber world' but mine is closed to them. However mine is closed to them for a reason. I have the age and knowledge to defend myself, and there certainly isn't any bullying of sorts within my age group of friends, certainly nothing I can't deal with on my own....but in my children's world, it's a completely different story.

I'm going to close this blog for today. There really isn't much there to read, but there is certainly a lot in my head that I wish to 'pen'.

I think, by the way I am feeling, I am about to open a can of worms on 'children of today'. Not necessarily all children, just mine, and the ones they are associated with (with no names mentioned of course). I find the 'children of our world today' fascinating. The way they live, think, work, feel, care and love. I believe on the exterior, they are very different to my era. But on the inside, they are not... at the end of the day they are human. They have hearts, they hurt, they cry, they feel and they love, and they have the same emotions that all of us had at the same age....the only difference, they have an overwhelming number of tools to either love or destroy those around them.......until next time....live...love....and care..xo