Car Talk

No, not the NPR show (although we love it!).... just the conversation in the van on the way home this afternoon. Rylie is having a sleepover with 4 other homeschooled friends, all in the *almost* 11 to 12 year old age range. We did alot of driving around today, dropping off her siblings and picking up her friends. We've also spent all the evenings this week watching and/or listening to the DNC...at least the keynote speakers each evening, if not more.

So...back to this afternoon. I have 5 girls in the almost 11 to 12 year old age range in my van. We're driving 30 minutes home from the last pickup spot (all our friends are all over the metro area so sometimes it's a haul to get back home!). I'm listening to NPR, but vaguely hearing the conversation in the back of the van... and then I hear "Amber was THERE?" REALLY?" "She's SO LUCKY!" "She got to see Obama LIVE and in person, not just on the tv!" and then they all proceed to figure out exactly how many more election cycles before they can vote! :-)

I don't have many "typical" pre-teen girls to gauge things on, but I do know a few...I'm guessing that the DNC and how long til they can vote isn't top on the conversation list for most kids in this age range! But... all these girls have families who are very on top of things politically. They hear conversation around them, they are encouraged to question. They are engaged in conversation as equals, not as kids who need a quick "pat" answer for things.

You can't convince me that kids don't have any interests besides watching Nickelodeon and Disney channel (or MTv and the like) and that they won't learn if they aren't "forced" to do it.

This is the greatest gift I think Darren and I are giving our children. They are actively engaged in their world. They are encouraged to question, to find things out and make up their own minds. I truly believe that they are going to be more than ready to enter this world as productive members of society- and for this gift I'm eternally grateful.