A friend of mine posted the link to this series on childhood on FB. I started reading the one on ten - we've passed that milestone, and all the others, so I went on to nine as well and a bit of eight and then I had to stop. Too many adjectives. Too much of this feeling that one too many creative writing workshops had been attended. And something else. I can't quit define what it is. I titled this, "worshipping at the altar of childhood" because it feels like these mums (a dad wouldn't write like that I'm sure - coming back to Joyce's thing about male and female writing) are celebrating and glamorizing stuff and giving it significance way beyond what I'd be capable of - or even think is appropriate.
Perhaps we've been in Asia too long? Perhaps my kid's childhood is being delayed. I couldn't get beyond the cloying saccharine of the 10 & 9 & 8 articles to read down the ages, but perhaps when I got to 5 or 6 I may find something that comes close to describing my kids. We are so not going through any of what they describe. Is there something wrong with us? I'm not sure. I'm just sure as heck glad that we're not living in the USA. Do these very young girls really have all these emotions and feelings and thoughts that are attributed to them? Is the society there so much different to the one we live in? Or are my kids abnormal anomalies? But to describe a ten year old as "adolescent"? Surely that's stretching a point.
We had a very interesting talk the other day at school by a marvelous teacher. My kids are so privileged to have such thoughtful and insightful teachers at their school. And as parents we occasionally get the opportunity to hear them talk - sometimes I think they're so wasted on the young! The topic was the "foundation texts" of cultures and how that shapes literature and consciousness. When I find the link I'll share it with you. She contrasted the biblical tales of Eden (childhood), temptation, rebellion (teenage), casting out and independence with the Indian tales of the Rama which emphasize filial piety, submission and co-operation. There was an interesting discussion of whether the rebellion of the teenage years in the West isn't perhaps a cultural construct rather than an external reality. I think she may have a point. I think any child growing up in the US will absorb that cultural construct regardless of their ethnicity unless the parents are very isolationist, leading to behaviours and attitudes that would be unheard of in their native culture.
Which leads me to the other big gripe about the articles - so WHITE! You're telling me in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment like the US they couldn't find ONE writer from a non white upper middle class angst background? I'd be intrigued as to what the equivalent entries would be for say China, India, Philippines etc. I was astounded how education and learning so didn't feature at all in the three I read. Except for a side sneer at social hierarchies at school.
So dear readers and writers - anyone want to write something about your children at any age level to offer a counter balance to this?
Perhaps we've been in Asia too long? Perhaps my kid's childhood is being delayed. I couldn't get beyond the cloying saccharine of the 10 & 9 & 8 articles to read down the ages, but perhaps when I got to 5 or 6 I may find something that comes close to describing my kids. We are so not going through any of what they describe. Is there something wrong with us? I'm not sure. I'm just sure as heck glad that we're not living in the USA. Do these very young girls really have all these emotions and feelings and thoughts that are attributed to them? Is the society there so much different to the one we live in? Or are my kids abnormal anomalies? But to describe a ten year old as "adolescent"? Surely that's stretching a point.
We had a very interesting talk the other day at school by a marvelous teacher. My kids are so privileged to have such thoughtful and insightful teachers at their school. And as parents we occasionally get the opportunity to hear them talk - sometimes I think they're so wasted on the young! The topic was the "foundation texts" of cultures and how that shapes literature and consciousness. When I find the link I'll share it with you. She contrasted the biblical tales of Eden (childhood), temptation, rebellion (teenage), casting out and independence with the Indian tales of the Rama which emphasize filial piety, submission and co-operation. There was an interesting discussion of whether the rebellion of the teenage years in the West isn't perhaps a cultural construct rather than an external reality. I think she may have a point. I think any child growing up in the US will absorb that cultural construct regardless of their ethnicity unless the parents are very isolationist, leading to behaviours and attitudes that would be unheard of in their native culture.
Which leads me to the other big gripe about the articles - so WHITE! You're telling me in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment like the US they couldn't find ONE writer from a non white upper middle class angst background? I'd be intrigued as to what the equivalent entries would be for say China, India, Philippines etc. I was astounded how education and learning so didn't feature at all in the three I read. Except for a side sneer at social hierarchies at school.
So dear readers and writers - anyone want to write something about your children at any age level to offer a counter balance to this?
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