Growing Too Fast

[Gentle]

[SIZE=1]I don't know about anywhere else but I know for sure that here, where I live, there are children everywhere that act like they're older than me sometimes. My little cousins only 6 years old are dancing like they're in a R. Kelly video and it just shocks me. Everything they do is just something I couldn't see.

Anyway, other kids I know and don't know, under the age of 10, are running around, talking about drugs and sex, boyfriends and girlfriends, and wearing revealing clothes that I wouldn't even wear. They even think they know what a gigolo is (are way off) but I just can't stand the thought about all of them trying to grow up so fast. They call me underdeveloped and tell me I need to get my own man.

To the point, is this something that someone else sees? I don't get how parents let their children get this bad and then let them stay that way. What do you think?[/SIZE]

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] I just like to think that society is changing... so.. whatever. I'm sure it won't bring about the destruction of the earth or anything. When I was in middle school a lot of people I knew talked about that stuff, but now a lot of people have mellowed out and act normal, for lack of a better word. Considering that they're elementary/early middle schoolers, they're probably making up 60% of what they say. Which I find amusing sometimes. >_>

I also wonder about the parents of these tweens/teens. But not too much.

Sometimes I'll be in American Eagle or A&F and I'll see like a pack of tweens swarming all over the place. A lot of times they annoy me because they have to stick together in a group or else. They're like those giant schools of fish that move as just one giant glob of people. And the fact that they don't even have a chest to fill in the shirts sold at the stores they're in.[/color]

[celestialcharm]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]These kids nowadays know wayyy more stuff then I do! They look and act much older then they are. When I was at work once, they're was a girl who looked like she was 18, but she was really 10!!! Maybe because of all the child laws out there, parents aren't disiplining their kids as they used to...and all the media out there is corrupting them. It also could be that maybe because that the parents of the children are not there (because they work more expecially with these gas prices!) to watch them as much. More families are single parent families and dysfunctional.

I on the other hand, am only 16, but I look like I'm 12! It's like a reverse of natural order or something... :animeswea [/COLOR]

[Panda]

My best friend and I had this conversation just the other day. It is quite shocking to see what kids are allowed to wear. She was telling me that there are girls in her daughter's class who have tattoos on their lower back...her daughter is 13 years old. And the tattoos are not stick ons, they are the real deal. Kids can't get a tattoo unless their parent gives permission. Unless these girls who are obviously pre-teens are convincing the tattoo shops they are over 18 then their parents are signing off on this. Bizarre, just plain bizarre in my book.

I can't imagine allowing someone so young make a decision about getting a tattoo at such a young age. They, of course, are also wearing lower than low hip huggers and thongs so you can see their tattoos. Maybe I am too old and not on the cutting edge of what is going on with the younger set these days, but it does seem to me that parents are much less conservative these days.

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]I notice it more with girls than boys in Australia. Most of my brother and his friends are just like me at his age (11), ie, into videogames, soccer on weekends and not giving a damn about what they're wearing as long as there isn't a hole in the crotch. They all take the time to gel their hair, of course, but that's about the only exception in their case. I can't vouch for the rest of the Australian male pre-teen population, of course, but that's what I've noticed.

Girls on the other hand... geez. My step sister isn't yet 12, and is starving herself thin. She does hip hop dancing that seems more like breast thrusting than legitimate [i]dancing[/i]. Personally, I don't see why they need to teach these young girls how to thrust their breasts out and be sex objects [through these classes] when they aren't even filling out a training bra. But hey, her Mum lets her do it and it keeps her fit, so I guess that's a minor plus.

Anyway, her friends are similar, they're all [i]extremely[/i] trendy, and more than a little concerned with their appearance. Why they're so concerned when they still think boys are icky and gross mystifies me though - you don't wear a halter top and hotpants for nothing, regardless of your age. But oh well. I guess media penetration has gotten to such a level that you don't even need to know why you're doing something as long as celebrity rolemodels are. It's a Sick Sad World.

[Whoever didn't catch that Daria reference doesn't deserve to breathe. :p][/font][/color][/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]I agree with everything here, but I'd like to add something-

Everyone I've spoken to (and people here, obviously) agrees that these adult clothes for little girls are wrong. Well, why not [I]stop making the clothes in small sizes[/I]. I think it's sick when I go out shopping to see cargo pants for a girl the age of ten with 'Sexy' scrawled over their ***. (Actually I hate that no matter what age, because half the time the pants lie!) Especially considering the kind of society we've got out there today.

I'm not around younger kids much seeing as I'm on only child, but my dad's girlfriend has a four-year-old daughter. When I went to visit them for a couple of weeks I had the pleasure (I use that word loosely) of meeting her. She danced like Shakira or something, trying to do all those breast wiggles and grinding her hips. It was very, very disturbing. Especially since her mother was watching and cheering her on.[/SIZE]

[Pumpkin]

[QUOTE=René][size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]
Girls on the other hand... geez. My step sister isn't yet 12, and is starving herself thin. She does hip hop dancing that seems more like breast thrusting than legitimate [i]dancing[/i]. Personally, I don't see why they need to teach these young girls how to thrust their breasts out and be sex objects [through these classes] when they aren't even filling out a training bra. But hey, her Mum lets her do it and it keeps her fit, so I guess that's a minor plus.[/font][/color][/size][/QUOTE][SIZE=1] I do Hiphop dancing but I'm 18. I honestly don't see whats wrong with her taking hiphop though, not all of it is "bust thrusting" infact I see it as a dance of art. That's a whole lot different to me then say a 13 year old getting a tattoo. But thats just my opinion. Anyways...

I've seen a 15 and 14 year olds with their nose & belly pierced and a tattoo. Now I wasn't so much suprised with the piercings...but a tattoo? You know how painful it is to get that removed? Would if they don't want it in the future? Making a decision like that should wait until your 18 or over and I knew even at that age I wasn't ready to make such a big decision. That's permanent ink and some don't realize what that means and what it costs to remove it. I also noticed that it's mostly girls at age 11 or even younger that are starting to think about boys.

Once when I was at a waterpark, I saw two 7 year olds that were making out on the grass. I've also seen a lot of young girls wearing "adult style revealing bikinis" not that they have anything to show because they haven't developed at all. It's really disgusting when it comes to that. It's sad when kids are forced to grow up early, heck I wish I could go back to being a kid, next thing you know your going to see girls that are 10 lining up to go into a tanning booth. They should just enjoy their youth while it last, the way it's suppose to be. [/SIZE]

[Gentle]

[quote name='Pumpkin][SIZE=1'] I do Hiphop dancing but I'm 18. I honestly don't see whats wrong with her taking hiphop though, not all of it is "bust thrusting" infact I see it as a dance of art. That's a whole lot different to me then say a 13 year old getting a tattoo. But thats just my opinion. Anyways...[/SIZE][/quote][SIZE=1]I don't see anything wrong with hiphop dancing either because I do it, but some of those moves are reveal too much about sex for 12 and 13 year olds to be doing. I have a cousin who was 4, 4!, and she used to drop down and get her eagle on. Worse than that she knew what it meant and used it in public around people. That's what leads to child rape.[/SIZE]
[quote name='Pumpkin][SIZE=1']I've seen a 15 and 14 year olds with their nose & belly pierced and a tattoo. Now I wasn't so much suprised with the piercings...but a tattoo? You know how painful it is to get that removed? Would if they don't want it in the future? Making a decision like that should wait until your 18 or over and I knew even at that age I wasn't ready to make such a big decision. That's permanent ink and some don't realize what that means and what it costs to remove it. I also noticed that it's mostly girls at age 11 or even younger that are starting to think about boys.[/SIZE][/quote][SIZE=1]Tatoos I have no problem with. I'm allowed to have one but I just don't want to. True, it's painful to have removed but it some spots it's painful to be applied also. If they still want to have it when they start screaming, it's their faults and decisions and you shouldn't care about it.[/SIZE]

[Goodbye, Face]

[font=trebuchet ms]I was wondering this a few days ago. I became what would fit into the "rocker" label when I got into high school, however I see little goth kids running around at the middle school and it frightens me. When I was in middle school, Goths only existed as villians in movies, Marilyn Manson was someone you stayed away from; but these kids are running around in middle school wearing all black, chains, etc. This goes beyond Hot Topic fare, this isn't Good Charlotte or Simple Plan, we're talking about KILLWHITNEYDEAD, Cradle of Filth, Norma Jean, and Between the Buried and Me stamped all over these twelve-year-olds. I also see fashion gone ary in the little girls, they're coming closer and closer to thongs and low rise jeans without having anything to show off. Sad.[/font]

[SaiyanPrincessX]

[SIZE=1]I know exactly what your talking about. Our society has gone to hell. Its rediculous all the crap shown in the media. I can't stand it. I've had this conversation with my mom several times, not really an in depth conversation, just how its getting scary that the majority of people enjoy watching, listening, etc. to such garbage, and letting their children aswell.

I have these cousins, one is thirteen the other is eleven. The older one wants to have sex and says shes tried marijuna. She also likes that hip hop dancing and does it infront of guys much older than her, and tells them shes eighteen. Her younger sister [i]wants[/i] to try marijuna, and other things.

I don't get it, do their parent's know how to raise kids, or is it that they just don't care?

And the clothes girls are wearing, yes, disgusting.

My thoughts and opinions. :animesigh[/SIZE]

[visualkei]

Have you guys ever walked past a Libby Lu store in the mall?

The first time I noticed that store was when a bunch of girls that were barely taller than my hips lined up outside with their hair all curled, wearing tons of makeup and glitter,feathered scarves, and shirts that didn't cover their bellies. They proceeded to dance to some song outiside the store in the shopping center while people crowded around. Some cheering, some quietly jeering. A part of me can see through the eyes of the parents who took their daughters there, (maybe unknowingly) and thinking that it's just so adorable that their 5 year old daughter thinks she's a sex bomb.

As for me, I really dispise that store. What ideas are they putting into a young girl's head? That in order for you to feel special and get all this attention and applaud is if you dress like "that" and wear tons of makeup and dance in front of people to music with egotistical lyrics. Talk about Future Show Girls of America!

I do think parents are less conservative now. And people in general are less conservative. It's not a bad thing. Time's change. And kids will react to what's popular, what they think is cool. I remember being about 11, and this little girl who I used to be best friends with suddenly blurted out "I'm not a virgin, everyone's doing it!" And I thought, "You're so stupid. You're in elementary school!" When kids think that everyone's doing something, and it's okay, and they want to be a part of the group, you can't really stop them. It'll just make them wanna drink, get tattoos, have sex, whatever it is they're not supposed to be doing. They wanna fit in. And I guess it's not so bad that they're dressing more revealing, haha. I know. Just gotta let them know there are different ideas and perspectives out there that might change their minds and challenge what "everyone's" doing.

[kayutori_sama]

[QUOTE=visualkei]Have you guys ever walked past a Libby Lu store in the mall?

The first time I noticed that store was when a bunch of girls that were barely taller than my hips lined up outside with their hair all curled, wearing tons of makeup and glitter,feathered scarves, and shirts that didn't cover their bellies. They proceeded to dance to some song outiside the store in the shopping center while people crowded around. Some cheering, some quietly jeering. A part of me can see through the eyes of the parents who took their daughters there, (maybe unknowingly) and thinking that it's just so adorable that their 5 year old daughter thinks she's a sex bomb.

As for me, I really dispise that store. What ideas are they putting into a young girl's head? That in order for you to feel special and get all this attention and applaud is if you dress like "that" and wear tons of makeup and dance in front of people to music with egotistical lyrics. Talk about Future Show Girls of America!

I do think parents are less conservative now. And people in general are less conservative. It's not a bad thing. Time's change. And kids will react to what's popular, what they think is cool. I remember being about 11, and this little girl who I used to be best friends with suddenly blurted out "I'm not a virgin, everyone's doing it!" And I thought, "You're so stupid. You're in elementary school!" When kids think that everyone's doing something, and it's okay, and they want to be a part of the group, you can't really stop them. It'll just make them wanna drink, get tattoos, have sex, whatever it is they're not supposed to be doing. They wanna fit in. And I guess it's not so bad that they're dressing more revealing, haha. I know. Just gotta let them know there are different ideas and perspectives out there that might change their minds and challenge what "everyone's" doing.[/QUOTE]
Well you can't just let them do as they please. Yes, we're supposed to learn from our mistakes, but not every one does. Teach them good discernment. Steer them in the right correction. Just don't let them run wild. They'll end up where they don't want to be.

Sometimes I look at today's kids and I just wonder. It makes me worry because I have an 8 year old brother growing up in this society. It worries me even more because I know one day my own children will be growing up in this society, probably even worse than it is now.

Whenever I take the time to actually look at what societyis doing, it either makes me laugh because it's quite stupid , or it makes me disgusted because it's just plain wrong. I mean, there are little 7th and 8th graders at my school who are starving themselves to death when they're already thin! All the fads of today are just a complete 360 degrree turn from the things that were "cool" when I was a kid. When I was a kid, you wanted an Easy Bake Oven or a Tamagatchi. Not Grand Theft Auto San Andreas when you were 8

[Sage Kaley]

I agree with everyone about kids growing up too fast but I thought I'd share something else too. I know a lot of people have been discussing clothes, mostly on girls, and how short and revealing they are getting. I've actually asked a parent about this, one who let her daughter run around in clothes that I myself wouldn't wear. Her daughter is roughly age 6. Her mother told me "It's only us adults who see sex in children. They don't know anything about what they are wearing or doing, they just think it's cute. Adults need to stop pressing their viewpoint on children and let them stay in their own happy world."

Does anyone else see something very wrong with this viewpoint? For one thing, some of the children DO know what they are doing. That is a sad but true fact. However what bothered me is that she could say that only adults see the sex and yet not think ofchild molesters. I have seen the scary things pedophiles and the like write about young girls in revealing clothes. It's a major turn on to them. Yes, some children think halter tops are cute. But they shouldn't be wearing them. There's no reason to dress like that unless you want attention and no parent should allow their child to advertise herself like that.

Not to mention the girls are dressing like that BECAUSE of the adult influence...

[Zenriek]

Well... It all comes right back to the parents though, doesn't it? They could be trying, maybe they are, but they just can't stop them? Or maybe they don't care, or think it's cute or something. Parents are getting younger and younger, less and less assertive (sp?), letting the children walk all over them, or just plain don't care. And then there's the laws, that are getting more and more strict. To quote a friend of mine, 'You can't even grab a child too hard, or reprimand them anymore, or the child protection agency will be on your ***.'

I mean, I walk through the mall and see little six or seven year old girls walking around in halter tops, tiny skirts, the like. And you walk into clothing stores, and they've got these kinds of clothes for these little girls everywhere.

A few years ago, it was my little brother's party, and we went to this big public playland (called Makutus (sp?)), and a few of my friends came to keep me company. Well, one of my friends brought two kids she had recently started babysitting, whom had nothing better to do that night. I couldn't believe it. They were brother and sister, about five and six years old, the girl was wearing VERY revealing clothes, and they were walking around talking about sex, and drugs, and laughing and saying that they would be doing it.

They were also the nastiest little kids. They seemed to think they ruled the place, would cut in lines, hit people, cuss and yell at people... :mad: :animeangr

I suppose advertisments and tv shows don't help at all, it's getting worse. Society is getting worse. In about twenty years, most five year olds will have known everything there is to sex, drugs, etc.

Or maybe I'm just being paranoid, or pessimistic. Either way, it's getting worse, though there will always be the good little kids sitting in the back of the class, talking about the latest Pokemon show, or something like that.

[DeadSeraphim]

[font=arial][size=1][color=indigo]It isn't entirely the parents fault. You have to remember that there's been a huge backlash in recent years to physically discipling children, and as telling them to stop/yelling won't work, parents are at a loss as to what to do when their kids start exhibiting these behaviours. The idea they'll mess the kid up psychologically or whatever is becoming increasingly prevalent among parent, unjustifiably (in most cases).

I was physically disciplined when I messed up as a kid, and I don't think it messes with kids psychologically at all. Grabbing you around the arm or delivering a smack on the bottom when you mess up is hardly life altering, and usually gets the message across that, yes, you messed up. Stop it. I'm not messed up, and I'm not a complete societal **** up. But I digress

There was a recent case in Australia, where a father was taken to court on assault charges on his daughter. She had been consistently misbehaving (taking lollies when told not to) so he disciplined her and took her out of the kitchen. An aunt saw the marks on the girl's arms (I think it was just red grip marks), and told the police. [b][i]The assault charges were successful[/i][/b].

As if to rub salt in the wound, the child was seen eating lollies in the news section from which I saw it. I don't see this trend getting better.

Also, on hip hop dancing: There's nothing wrong with it, I know, but some of the moves these girls are taught at such a young age, [i]are[/i] extremely inappropriate, and really doesn't help in the log run.[/color][/size][/font]

[Guest >x<ino]

its called homor/ maturity
in America all children age from 13 look like an adult, that is why all sites start from 13, and other countrys like mine start from 16
even in Japan as well, not just ***, Asia children 6 are like 10 years old

it's called evloving, generation 1990, all kids born there are growing so fast, because all kids born before 1990, from age 15 then we start to grow pubity and we also grow up and mature at 16
but kids born at 1990, they start theirs from age 13

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]Yes it's called evolving, doesn't mean that it's right.

Developing nuclear weapons was evolving and somehow I don't think that weapons that can destroy a whole country with the press of a button are a very good idea.

Kids can grow up and learn, doesn't mean they have to stop being kids.[/SIZE]

[Sandy]

If you look back on the history of human society, this really is nothing new.

Just a hundred years ago children were still expected to be "little adults" - dress like them, act like them, behave like them. If we go further back, it wasn't unusual for 12 years old girls to wed, and boys of that age were already working as apprentices/fighting in battles.

The "kids must be allowed to be kids" -thing was just a phase in the mid to late 1900's.

But like Imi said, just because this is natural development, it doesn't make it ethically right. I sincerely believe that the modern society puts way too much pressure on the children's appearance and behaviour, but nobody seems to have a solution at hand... :/

[Guest >x<ino]

Imi please post sense
you are postign about Nuclear Bomb that has nothing to do with evolving and this topic

who is telling them to stop being kids?
i am saying they do evolv fast AKA grow fast
kids born in 1990 are the generations... because of the maturity, they grow fast,
they look 18/adult at the age of 12/13 when they are meant to be kids...not even teenagers

[Sandy]

[QUOTE=>x you are postign about Nuclear Bomb that has nothing to do with evolving and this topic
[/QUOTE]

Actually, you're the one not making any sense here, >x
Have you met Mr. Period and Mrs. Comma yet? What about Miss Capital Letter? ;P

And have you ever heard of [I]comparisons[/I]? Imi was just making a comparison with the bomb, that not all development is for the good.

As for the rest of your post, I have no idea what you were trying to say... :/ I don't mean to offend you, but if you want to get your point accross, try using full sentences, okay?

[Raiyuu]

[font=Trebuchet MS][b]>x
And as Sage pointed out (not particularly politely, Sage) you could do with improving post clarity yourself. For instance:
[quote=>x even in Japan as well, not just ***, Asia children 6 are like 10 years old[font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] I have [b]no [/b]idea what that says. Just try reading over your posts before hitting the submit button; think whether it would be easy for someone else to understand what you're saying.

Got any questions about OtakuBoards policies on post quality, or anything like that? Check out the [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][b]Rules[/b][/url] and [b][url="http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?"]FAQ[/url][/b], or PM me or another member of the moderating team.
[/font]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

While reading over the responses to this thread I recalled a memory of the bus journey from the airport to our holiday apartments in Turkey this year. My younger brother who was just after his sixteenth birthday was sitting with my younger sister who was thirteen at the time at the back of the bus. Beside them was a woman who was chatting to the pair, until I noticed a scowl on my brother's face after which the conversation was purely between my sister and the woman. On asking my brother about it, he responded rather testily that while the woman had placed my brother as being only fifteen, she had asked what year of college my sister was in.

One that same trip I was also mistaken for my brother's father being aged somewhere "in my mid thirties", though that is another story. My sister has always looked older than she actually is, or at least has looked older than she is for as long as I can accurately remember. She dresses and acts far older than she actually is, though that seems to be the norm with young girls these days, and most certainly has the attitude of someone nearing the legal drinking age. It seems that acting and looking older than one's age is more prevalent among females than it is among males or at least that is how it appears in Ireland.

I'm not really sure what the point is to this post, aside from agreeing that children are definitely growing up too fast for their own good. Children need to be children, we'll be or are adults from our late teens to the day we die and that comes with enough responsibility that we'll rue the day we ever grew up. [/SIZE]

[AlishaKitten]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][COLOR=Plum]I know what you mean about little kids trying to act like if there older. I went through the samething my child hood. Everyone was acting older then they were suppost to. But some kids minds were just exposed to things at an earlyer age. Like for me as an example I was exposed to porn at 6 or 7. I'm not saying it's the smartest thing to do to your child but I do believe you should try to keep them as a kid while they still are.

But once they get older dont still try to treat them like a child. At a sertain age they should start learning about the real world and if your not gonna tell them they'll learn by there friends. That's how life is.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]