Chicken Way Out

We all say that we want to know if our child is misbehaving. We ask our friends to please let us know if our kid does something naughty. But it really is hard to call a friend and tell them their kid is going off the deep end. So, because I'm feeling chicken-hearted I'm just going to write the mother a letter, here on my blog. Maybe she'll see it, maybe it'll help. (doubt it)

Dear Somewhat-Distant-Friend and Parent-of-Naughty-8th-Grader:

I thought you'd like to know that your child has been rather naughty lately. My son, and a few of his friends, have brought home a continual string of stories regarding your child. I know that if it were my son, I'd want to know. So, I am writing you this letter, hoping you'll see it and intuitively guess it's your child I'm writing about.

Primarily I am noticing a swearing trend at school. I understand the 8th graders penchant for trying out new vocabulary, but the standard use of the F-Bomb is over the top. In addition to the F-Bomb your child has created an ingenious hand shake. My own son thinks the initial start of the shake is creative and cool, but the ending flipping of the bird is perhaps inappropriate.

Finally, I know that as a parent I would want to make sure I knew if my 13 year old child had a Facebook account. Also, I'd want to know that my child was smart enough to know how to cheat the Jr. High's system of flex time. Basically your child is the equivalent of a street seller with goods stocked up in his overcoat pockets.

I'm sure the rest of what I'm hearing is just rumor and perhaps what I've heard already is just rumor. Maybe the unfathomable thought that your kid is struggling and that my child could be the next to struggle keeps me from telling you directly. Perhaps it's also that maybe you already know, and that like the rest of us - you'd have no way to control what a 13 year old is doing 24 hours a day. And that by telling you, maybe I'd be breaking your already crumbling heart.

Wishing I knew what to do,

Wendy


P.S. Any suggestions?