not the norm… teenagers

I like to think that teenagers today are somewhat responsible young adults, and reading those newspaper articles about how youngsters painted orang asli’s long house, do work for charity, do sounds really encouraging.

I rather think that teenagers of our days are responsible adults, since most of my friends, including myself had needed to help out at home or at our parent’s small businesses after school and during holidays.

When we were young, I had like to sleep in during the holidays, but we were never given the luxury. During school holidays, my dad would wake us up by phone if we are not up by 9am. He would then set tasks for us to do. Mind the store, send delivery, attend to customers,  sweep the dusty floor, do stock check, etc. All of us had to go about sweeping, doing stock checks, while the coolies sat out front, smoked and chatted.  My dad says we had to because its our own business and this is what clothed and fed us. While I do not understand when i was 12, as I grew older, I know where he is coming from.

Yesterday, we brought the kids to Sunway Pyramid, to the new wings. There is a small play area in Jaya Jusco with the cursory swing, slide, table with leftover blocks, and two plastic see saw.

3 female teenagers about 17 years old or so, came giggling into the play area amidst loud laughters and gigles. Then they set about to conquer it. As soon as a little boy got up, they sat on the see saw, its a wonder it didnt collapse under their weight. Although they then collapsed upon each other, giggling and laughing and knocking a toddling little boy in the process of their “antics”. The little boy’s mother quickly run over to rescue her little boy, while one of the teenagers shook her head and rolled her eyes heavenward.  Then her friend lost her balance and knock over another little girl, and her friend too, roll her eyes heavenward. Almost sounds like she is thinking, “fools, why can’t they keep their balance?”

While I was watching these, I had wondered why other parents are not saying a word.  I think a lot of Malaysian are just not confrontational. Even when faced with a queue jumper, most of us will just let it go. I am probably the only person that I ever know of who would speak up and ask the queue jumper to go to the back of the line. And then, of course, all the stares from the queue would be transfered from the queue jumper to me.   And I almost understand why most people let queue jumper get away with it.  They dont like the stares to be transfered to them.

Just then, the father of the toddling baby came forth and ask the girls, “Do you mind, these are for kids”. 

The girls threw him a annoyed glance, laughed with each other, and left.

Most certainly, we, the old school, as young girls, were never allowed that much time with our friends by our parents, save for the old fashioned Girl Guides activities and basketballs etc.  Most of our parents (as I am aware, looking at my cicle of friends around me) made sure our time are fully utilised.

Bringing up a kid takes a lot of understanding, patience and hard work.  Sometimes I wondered if I should have taken more effort in raising my kids, whether I should be taking all those approaches that those books lining the bookshelves of The Border and Kinokuniya taught us.

In reality, most of us would like to be good parents. But in the midst of everything else that prevail over these, like working full time or part time to cloth and feed the kids, setting stern rules to caretakers/MIL/maids so as to oversee the safety and hygene of the kids, we cannot go the way the expert thinks.  Certain things will have to be compromised.  I simply cannot be a perfect person in my quest to oversee other things that are more important my kids, like hygene and safety.

Parenthood is a long journey.  And we all know that being a parent is never an easy job.

Anyhow, Just my musings. Thanks for bearing with me.