My Tweenie visitation #026

And let’s not forget Roger…

This week has been a little full on for one reason and another (having too much fun 😊) so this is a relative shortie, and perhaps a tad off topic, but one you aunties, uncles and grand-parents may relate to.  

I had my 12 year old niece to stay for a few days. My Tweenie.  

Picture the scene. 

Childfree me, thrust into a world that is a distant memory and a foreign land.  Little prior training provided.

A world of false eyelashes and thick eyebrows.

Endless phone activity.

Foul mouthed (so she told me) hip hop obscured by over ear headphones with me treated to the occasional Flowers by Miley Cyrus, obviously deemed suitable ‘auntie musical material’.

Fussy food and drink choices heavily laced with sugar.

12 midday wake ups.

Is she having a nice time?

We visited a local seaside fair ground.  The nausea inducing rides and the bungee, trampoliney things being the favourites.  The rides paled into insignificance though when we hit the amusement arcade and the ‘shove two pence’ machines.  The frenzied look of addiction exhibited by children and adults alike as they tried to win pots of sludge or shapeless fuzzy toys felt like some form of gateway drug.  But she loved it.

The fun bits (well for me anyway ) were the simple bits…making brownies, cooking pizzas, playing Monopoly and wading out into the chilly sea together.  Watching her play in a neighbour’s pool (where the unfeasibly large eyelashes made their escape!) and bond with a local 11 year old boy by throwing a mini rugby ball, doing back flips on a trampoline and playing the drums. 

We played badminton in the garden. And took twilight swims in (another) neighbours wild swimming pool.  It was joyful to watch her gradually acclimatise to the cold water and  squeal at the swooping bats.

The beautiful child in her gradually being allowed to come to the fore.

All the time with me wondering, is she having a nice time? Is she having fun?  Is she bored?

Sad

I felt sad when, having heard the Radio 2 news, she said “I think World War 3 will be soon”.  “Why do you think that?” I replied, as she reeled off the Russia:Ukraine war, the anti immigration riots and the recent stabbing of a young girl in Leicester Square and the hideous murder of those gorgeous young girls in Southport. 

I attempted to appease her with tales of my similar concerns at her age with the Cold War and fear of nuclear annihilation which never came to pass.  I tried to explain how the news is a deliberate cycle of doom and gloom because it has to ‘entertain’ 24/7.  Thank goodness we didn’t get on to the subject of Climate Change. I urged her to reflect on the good that is happening in the world such as the Anti Racism demonstrations which quelled the rioters as an illustration of the general good nature and intentions of the majority who all want to live in peace and get on with life. 

Tough

But I think it’s a tough gig being 12 these days. What must the future feel like and who and what do you believe?  As adults it’s hard enough.  Who is manipulating all this distrust, dissatisfaction and division? and to what end?  Do the shareholders and C Suite inhabitants of the businesses promulgating these stories not have their own children and grandchildren with open, active and anxious minds?

I don’t know.  It just doesn’t feel right to me.

How about you?  What are your thoughts? How do you protect and care for the minds of your children, nieces and nephews?  I’d love to hear from you.

Roger Federer

Oh, and before you go, if you missed it take a peek at Roger Federer's Commencement Speech at Dartmouth College where he reframes his retirement from tennis as his Graduation.  I may just try that gown on for a while 😊

Until next week my friends

Ruth x