FFS Friday - Firey

Hello Friday you beautiful thing.

 

It's no secret that I really don't understand how the world works. It really doesn't make sense to me. 

 

One thing I've been thinking about a lot since I had kids is the way they're treated. We expect things of kids that we would never ask of an adult. If it's not okay for an adult then why is it okay for a child? Makes no sense to me. 

 

For example. The last few weeks Eljay has had swimming lessons. They're expected to get changed in a communal change room with a whole pile of other kids. The first day, when Eljay asked to get changed in a private change room, he wasn't allowed to. 

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but there's no way I'd get naked in a communal change room. I get changed in a private cubicle. Even if I knew everyone in the change room I still wouldn't get naked in front of them. So why do we expect kids to be okay with that? 

 

I understand that there are logistical and safety precautions, but really, I can understand how some kids don't want to strip off in front of other people. I was talking to his teacher about it and she said that the kids start swimming lessons in pre primary when they aren't worried about privacy, so that by the time they get to year two it doesn't bother them.

 

I'm of the opinion that it should bother them. Kids being desensitised to things that don't feel right really scares me.

 

Thankfully the school were brilliant and Eljay is allowed to get changed in a private change room. It was either that or I would have cancelled the lessons, I refuse to make him do something he's not comfortable with and something that I wouldn't do. I'm glad he won't get naked in front of strangers!

 

That's just one of so many things we expect kids to do that seem very unreasonable to me. If I wouldn't do it then I won't expect my children to do it. Why should they eat foods they don't like? I don't. Why should they finish everything on their plate? I don't. Why should they spend time with people they don't like? Why should they be forced to do things they don't feel comfortable doing? 

It's nearly wood heater weather and I can't wait.

 

 Have a beautiful weekend.