Sunday, May 29, 2005
Teenage distractions
I was having discussion with other men in our small group ("Real Life Group" or RLG) and here's why I don't want my sons to be part of a coed youth group as a teenager:
1) They are growing into man and have increased interest in females, even if they pretend not to notice. I remember being shy until years past college before I really asked someone out for a date but I had interests in woman when I was a teenager (13 or so). So, I don't want them to be distracted by young women without their dads around (I mean the young women's as well as young men's dads).
2) If they think about it, then they are likely to try to get noticed, even if sub-consciously-- to show off or just to stand out. (Now that I think about it, I did a thing or two to get noticed even in mid-elementary years (3rd? 4th? grade).)
3) I don't want them distracted by each other during discussion time -- physically poking each other or verbally picking on each other or else discussing about the latest TV or games. Without their dads around, they can easily get off topic, even with a leader or two around: I've observed them one Sunday and was not impressed. Too much discipline problem was what I noticed.
1) They are growing into man and have increased interest in females, even if they pretend not to notice. I remember being shy until years past college before I really asked someone out for a date but I had interests in woman when I was a teenager (13 or so). So, I don't want them to be distracted by young women without their dads around (I mean the young women's as well as young men's dads).
2) If they think about it, then they are likely to try to get noticed, even if sub-consciously-- to show off or just to stand out. (Now that I think about it, I did a thing or two to get noticed even in mid-elementary years (3rd? 4th? grade).)
3) I don't want them distracted by each other during discussion time -- physically poking each other or verbally picking on each other or else discussing about the latest TV or games. Without their dads around, they can easily get off topic, even with a leader or two around: I've observed them one Sunday and was not impressed. Too much discipline problem was what I noticed.
