The Tween!

My kids are all so very different and that is one of their greatest gifts.  KC is what he considers a "tween"  At nearly 11 he is aware of being on the cusp of the teen years and excited and scared in equal measures.

This Saturday morning when we went grocery shopping he begged me to buy him some deoderant.  My wife is a bit charry of deoderants--feeling that chemicals smeared so close to the lymph nodes are unwise, particularly in the young.  She points out when we discuss this that because we homeschool he can shower when ever he wants. She is OK with powders like Gold Bond. She just does not like deoderant.

I am not really remembering how I got Rob past that little smelly road block with her.  Somehow I must have because he is a great aficionado of Axe and other similar things.  But I think his passions for those came much later and maybe my wife thought it was cologne initially.

At any rate, there I stood in the market with my son begging for deoderant.  In the interest of compromise I read all the deoderants there until I found one with no antipersperant, no fragrance, no parabens and no aluminum.  I handed it to him and he clutched it happily.  When we got to the checkout our cashier asked if the kids wanted to hold their gum.  I said no it was too early in the morning for gum. (we shop at 7:30 a.m.)  "Oh, but could I please hold my deoderant?" pipes up KC

Sunday was KC's first OWL class for fifth graders.  This is a class that helps address changing bodies and issues of sexuality that our religious denomination offers.  It does not replace my input as a parent but I find that particularly for my boys the value is that they are able to get a male perspective. And they are able to ask questions in the company of their peers which leads to feeling more comfortable with topics that typically are not comfortable.

Except that KC is my guy who will (thankfully!) talk to me about anything.  He literally talked non stop all the way home about what they did in class and why he felt the way he did about the discussion topics.  With Rob, by comparison, OWL cracked open the door so that he would reluctantly talk about these issues with me.  With KC, it was more like a floodgate!  I find myself wondering what it will be like in a few years with Lissa...