"Waiting on the world to change"

What is wrong with kids today? They are so eager to grow up. Was I like that? I hope not. If i could give any kid or teenager any advice it would be to be a kid or teenager! I don't know why they are wanting to be something that they aren't ready to be yet.

I was just talking to a kid that I babysit who is in 7th grade. I've been babysitting him and his little sister for about the last four years. He has always been extremely mature for his age in certain areas and very immature in other ways. It almost scares me to hear about the things that he knows about, and how accurate his information is. I feel like I am one of the only positive adult influences in his life. His mom cares, but she doesn't know how to handle his raging hormones on her own. His dad's exact words were "pace yourself" and his grandpa is only fueling his fire.

At first I was really freaked out by this kid and it scared me because I don't know how I would be able to handle a pre-teen boy like him, but then I realized that a lot of it has to do with how lenient his parents are with him, and how uninvolved they are with him. By spending so much time with this family, I have definitely learned a thing or two about parenting. But then again....I bet its not as easy as it looks. Good thing I'm not going to be a parent for a very long time.