So Mature, yet So Young

Junior High kids think they are so mature. And in many ways they are.

They take on a lot more responsibility, like crossing busy streets and remembering to wear lip gloss.

They have more sophisticated tastes, like listening to the Black Eyed Peas and wearing jeans that show butt cleavage when they bend over.

And they sure as heck want to be treated like junior adults.

"You don't understand anything!" they say. Because, of course, they understand everything.

"Why can't my friends and I go to the mall/midnight movie/boy's house by ourselves?" they ask. Because, of course, they are so mature now that they can handle anything.

And yet.

Junior High kids are young. Very young. They still love their stuffed animals. They want to be tucked in at night. They cry when friendships go awry. They love puppies.

And they still want to go see Puss and Boots at the movies. With their mom.

Well at least, my daughter wanted to. She asked me to go see Puss and Boots with her yesterday. We did and it was fun.

And it reminded me about the incredible dichotomy that is the Junior High age child.