The boy child is obsessed. This is nothing new really as his obsessions change almost as frequently as his underwear. We all know how it goes, first it was Power Rangers, Pokeman, and Yu Gi Oh before he was old enough to progress to guitars, video games, MySpace, texting and cell phones. Now it is Airsoft guns and combat with his friends.
I've never been a parent that said absolutely no "guns" in our house, even toy guns. I thought I would be, peace, love and all that, but then the reality of having a boy kicked me in the face. These impulses are hard-coded in their DNA, I swear. The first time he put his hands on a water pistol it was all over. I try to pick my battles and this one was lost before I started to strategize. It's also really hard to stand firm on the guns are bad moral ground when I've been known to kick his butt in last man standing mode playing Ghost Recon on the playstation. And gloat about it.
Now Ace has graduated to the Airsoft spring loaded plastic BB guns and in complete 13 year old boy obsession mode. He talks about it constantly. It is the first thing on his mind, besides breakfast, when he gets out of bed in the morning and it's what he wants to do when he gets home from school, as he can't wait to get back out with his friends to the home-made battle field they've created in the woods behind his friend's house. He's so completely absorbed in these things that even while dreaming and talking in his sleep last night, he was clearly in full battle mode. It made me laugh really hard to hear his still young boy voice yell out battle tactics in his sleep.
We let him split the cost of a set of Airsoft guns with a friend, but Ace had to use his allowance money to pay for them. Every day after they made the online purchase Ace asked me whether I thought the package would be delivered that day. EVERY DAY, multiple times a day, for almost ten days, he asked me this question, "Think they'll get here today?" Like my answer was going to change from the previous ten times he'd already asked that day. When the package finally arrived I thought he would burst out of his skin from the anticipation of getting his hands on them.
I have to admire the planning and focus he and his friends have put into this endeavor. They researched the type of guns they wanted and costs. They spent HOURS, days even, together creating bunkers out of sticks, bricks and even going so far as to move a doghouse into the woods to create a woodland battle field. They dug shallow foxholes and built small fences to create hiding places and obstacles. They laid out battle plans and created combat teams and game rules. All of this was done BEFORE they got their shipment in hand. If he applied this much attention to his school work, he'd be a straight A student with a full scholarship already. SIGH...... He came home filthy, covered in dirt and newly torn clothes, with the periodic tick crawling on him and over the top pleased with himself and his efforts. Thirteen should be exactly like this. Full of adventure and discovery and I wouldn't see these experiences stifled for anything.
I've never been a parent that said absolutely no "guns" in our house, even toy guns. I thought I would be, peace, love and all that, but then the reality of having a boy kicked me in the face. These impulses are hard-coded in their DNA, I swear. The first time he put his hands on a water pistol it was all over. I try to pick my battles and this one was lost before I started to strategize. It's also really hard to stand firm on the guns are bad moral ground when I've been known to kick his butt in last man standing mode playing Ghost Recon on the playstation. And gloat about it.
Now Ace has graduated to the Airsoft spring loaded plastic BB guns and in complete 13 year old boy obsession mode. He talks about it constantly. It is the first thing on his mind, besides breakfast, when he gets out of bed in the morning and it's what he wants to do when he gets home from school, as he can't wait to get back out with his friends to the home-made battle field they've created in the woods behind his friend's house. He's so completely absorbed in these things that even while dreaming and talking in his sleep last night, he was clearly in full battle mode. It made me laugh really hard to hear his still young boy voice yell out battle tactics in his sleep.
We let him split the cost of a set of Airsoft guns with a friend, but Ace had to use his allowance money to pay for them. Every day after they made the online purchase Ace asked me whether I thought the package would be delivered that day. EVERY DAY, multiple times a day, for almost ten days, he asked me this question, "Think they'll get here today?" Like my answer was going to change from the previous ten times he'd already asked that day. When the package finally arrived I thought he would burst out of his skin from the anticipation of getting his hands on them.
I have to admire the planning and focus he and his friends have put into this endeavor. They researched the type of guns they wanted and costs. They spent HOURS, days even, together creating bunkers out of sticks, bricks and even going so far as to move a doghouse into the woods to create a woodland battle field. They dug shallow foxholes and built small fences to create hiding places and obstacles. They laid out battle plans and created combat teams and game rules. All of this was done BEFORE they got their shipment in hand. If he applied this much attention to his school work, he'd be a straight A student with a full scholarship already. SIGH...... He came home filthy, covered in dirt and newly torn clothes, with the periodic tick crawling on him and over the top pleased with himself and his efforts. Thirteen should be exactly like this. Full of adventure and discovery and I wouldn't see these experiences stifled for anything.
Safety is not overlooked and Ace knows the first time I find out that he's played in the woods without the face mask, he looses the guns for two weeks. No compromise on that rule as it's all fun & games until someone gets shot in the eye with a plastic BB going 250 feet per second. I even made him buy the safety gear himself, 'cause I'm that kind of Mom.
1 comment:
Will you take care of my boys when they're teenagers? I don't think I could handle this, but I wish I could. I love how he researched it and saved for it himself, that is a GREAT lesson.
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