What's the secret? Kids are still kids. Yipeeee!
You probably like little kids, right?. I mean, who wouldn’t? Those tiny toddlers have eyes that are round and clear, teeth that are cute and white, hair that’s soft, and hands that are pleasantly plump. They are perfect little miniatures who hold the infinite possibilities of things to come. Little kids embody unlimited potential...until they put on a few years. Then they become just regular ol' kids. They become that 3rd-grader with layers of scabs on both knees, and that the 11-year old who actually sweats. (Stinky sweat at that!) They’re not really cute anymore, they’re just kids.
As these "Used-To-Be-Toddlers" get older, we see less of the potential their once perfect hands once held; instead we see the dirt under those same hand's fingernails. Yes, older kids are more independent, more capable of expressing their needs, and more likely to get the heck on our nerves, but the good thing about it is that they’re still kids.
Don't let these middle-sized miniatures fool you. They are every bit as clear and round and soft as their smaller counterparts, we just have to look past that crusty shell and remember who they really are. They're good-hearted kids who have a real concept of right and wrong and they still look up to us. After all, they're still kids.
"WAIT", you're thinking, "STOP RIGHT THERE! I know plenty of 4th graders who are terrible rascals!" Granted, not every elementary school-aged kid is an angel...some of them lost their sweet side long ago, but for the most part, elementary school-aged kids are still kids.
My grandmother loves me. I've known that for a long time. But what I've come to realize is that she doesn't see me as a 36 year old mother of three. She didn't see me as a poorly dressed and undernourished college student, or a slightly rebellious teen. She sees me, and has always seen me, as that person I was when I was my best: a ten year old girl. And I like to be remembered that way. I was honest, true to myself, careful, but still adventurous. Peer pressure may have existed, but it was nothing compared to the constructive pressure I felt from my parents and teachers. They still held sway over me. I still had boundaries, and I respected them. Just like any kid does. They may not always seem like it, but elementary kids are still kids.
I feel pleased, even blessed to get to influence a kid who’s still impressionable -- one who still looks up to me in spirit, if not in stature. Okay, these little guys aren't as cute and cuddly as they used to be...but they're still kids.
And I love 'em!
~Catperson (Cathy)
