Nonetheless, this is a very serious topic, one which is well-worth sharing. Thank you Ani, for sharing this with other parents!
IMPORTANT FOR MOMS TO BE AWARE OF....
Do you have a Freshman girl in High School? Well I do & I am soooo grateful that I have the relationship that I do with her up to now.
I
have always tried to build a very good relationship with both of my
daughters in the hopes that they can always know that they can count on
me, talk to me about anything, know that I will have an open mind or try
to and give them the best advice that I know how. I sit here thinking
to myself how this was a story that needed to be told and I had to tell
it before I went to bed tonight.
Well, today I was super grateful and I will tell you why....
Today,
I went to drop off my oldest with a group of friends who gathered for a
study group for there physics class. It was a group of 10 students who
truly help each other out and am happy because it is a group of kids
with very good grades. As I dropped off my oldest, I decided to have
some mother/daughter bonding time with my 15-year old and go have pizza
at a recently new pizza place in town. As we were sitting at the table,
after we placed our order, she looked at me and told me "Mom, you know
how I always tell you things?" And of course, I replied "Yes," as I was
thinking inside of me "Oh No, what is she about to tell me & am I
ready for it?" She proceeds to tell me "Well, today I decided that I
really do not want to go & I am glad that you have not allowed me to
go to the high school football games because I found out about a club
called the Freshman 500". So I, of course, do not think much
about it and ask her what is the Freshman 500. She then tells me that
it's a club for boys to see who can have the most sex with girls
Freshman year in high school and if they have it at a football game they
will get more points and end up getting $500.
I was in shock. I was trying not to freak out totally in front of her thinking OMG!!!
Then I had lost a bit of my appetite for pizza. Also, I thought..."DEAR
GOD, THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR HAVING HER FEEL SO COMFORTABLE WITH ME
& BE SO HONEST & JUST TELL ME THINGS, EVEN THOUGH THEY PUT ME IN
COMPLETE SHOCK & I MIGHT END UP HAVING A POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK"...
Then I think to myself "$500?... Where would kids even get that kind
of money?...Is this someone lying to her? Pulling a prank?... And for
heavens name, the fact that they are even thinking of such things is
horrible"
As
we keep talking & I my ears are open completely wide & my mind
& body are completely focused on this conversation with her, she
tells me that this girl that she knows but stays away from, because the
girl dresses inappropriate (which I love when she says that) and the
girl also is very easy with boys & has already had sex with boys
came up yelling, like happy but in shock, that she was part of the club.
All I am thinking is "HUH?" Apparently this girl saw nothing wrong
with the fact that she was one of the girls that one of the boys had sex
with and was trying to reach the highest number. ONCE AGAIN, MY MIND IS SAYING "OMG...OMG...OMG" We
proceed to have the conversation and of course, I talk to her & let
her know how super proud I am of her & how grateful & happy
that I am that she feels she can talk to me about these things. I then
talk to her about how boys will say things just to see what they can get
from a girl, how once a girl has a bad reputation everyone will know
and if a person hangs out with a person like that then people will
perceive to believe that everyone around that person is just as easy
& the same. I explain to her about how the time is going to come
that I will allow her to go to games and how careful she must be and
never stay alone or go alone to the bathroom. How she can not trust or
just be with a boy alone or her be the only girl in a group of boys and
soooo much more. I am not sure if some of you may think it is a bit too
much but I have always felt that I rather be honest and warn my
daughters about the worse and have them think twice about an action. I
always tell them every action has a consequence in everything in life
and one must try to think very hard and what the worse might be before
taking an action. I tell them, that is now and for the rest of there
lives. That does not mean that mistakes will not be made, of course
they will, but I explain how it just might save them from unwanted
situations like with boys.
Now,
regarding this Freshman 500 club. The fact that children, at the age
of 15, are talking about this type of stuff is just scary. What
happened to be kids and having fun in a descent way. Girls just
thinking boys are cute and that is it. About if they might get a disease
or even die from a disease. Do they not think how many others a person
might be with. If they can become parents at a very young age.
Apparently, not and it is very sad. I know I cannot fix the freshman
class and the mentality of so many kids but I sure know that I will
continue to try my best to talk to my girls, pray they make the right
decisions, think before they act, share stories, try to open there eyes
& continue every day of my life to talk, talk, talk and just let
them know I am here for them. I am not sure if that is something that
is happening in many other schools but I sure did not want to just stay
quiet and not share this with any parent. Moms or dads. So parents, just be aware & try to talk more to your kids to find out what is going on in there high school. Now,
I also want to let you know that my girls attend a very good public
high school, in a very good area, with an amazing principal. I have no
complaints about the actual school. I actually LOVE it. It just is
shocking what teens these days talk about or think about and I think, we
as parents, should just keep trying to find out what is going on in
there worlds.
To
me the coolest part after all of this was when I asked my daughter,
"Munchkin, I want to be honest with you and ask you if it will be
alright for me to share this story on my blog so other parents can know
just in case?" and she answers...."Yes, mom. I think it would be a
great idea because hopefully another mom can talk to her kids like you
do with us and they will not do anything dumb and many moms will know
this story so hopefully girls will not be so dumb".... and that was
that!!!
(Author/Guest Blogger: Ani Brioso)
