4/26/2008

The Little Kids These Days

Last night I came home from work entirely disturbed.

While I was going in and out of the stock room grabbing various shoes for people a little boy, about nine, was standing outside the stock room doors peering in. When I looked at him from time to time he had his mouth hanging open. Now, I could tell there was nothing mentally wrong with him, I just thought that he was incredibly curious to know what was going on back there. I used to wonder that myself as a kid. At one point he was standing in my way as I was going out. I pointed my finger at him in a scolding way (lightly joking) and said, "You can't come back here, I'll have to call the police."

He stared at me and said nothing, just let me walk by.

After a few more minutes I was walking out of the stockroom yet again and he said something lightly to me. I walked closer. "What?" I said.

"Can I have your phone number?"

"What?! Why?" I asked, not understanding.

"Because you are hot," he said.

I immediately imagined my nine year old son, Eraser Eater, saying this to a thirty year old woman. I didn't think it was funny or cute.
"I am an OLD LADY!" I said to the boy, pointing my finger once again, eyes wide. I walked off.

"...no you're not..." he tried arguing with me as I walked away.

Now, I am not saying this to generate comments on what the boy was talking about. I am not interested in that. I just think it terrible that a nine year old boy would even know what "hot" means, or be interested in something like that! I am SO glad I homeschool! I would understand, with some disgust, a grown man doing that (well, not peering into the stock room----I'd call security if that were the case), but not a little boy. Nope. How sad this world is.

8 comments:

Mrs. Sinta said...

It is sad. I am glad that you home school. Remember this day when you think that you are somehow ruining your children or making them miss something.

Doozie said...

That is weird and creepy. Kids that age don't even have the hormones that should generate these sorts of thoughts. Heck, my 12 year old would faint if he read this. Today at lunch menstration came up and my friend asked walter if he knew what that was and he said "I hope not".

Gen said...

My seventeen year old wouldn't even say that to a woman, but a nine year old is highly disturbing, indeed. And the fact that he was bold enough to say it to an adult is scary.

Whistle Britches said...

I'm going to have to sleep on that one.

Whistle Britches said...

I slept for two days and still don't know what to think about that kid...

John Robison said...

What you saw was a result of social pressures that come from exposing kids to inappropriate tv at a young age.

"Can I have your number," and "you're hot," are stanrard lines he got off TV. He probably does not even fully grasp the meaning, though he surely understands "good looking girl" as a vague concept.

His lost look before saying something probably shows more where he was at. He probably was lost, looking in, and perhaps thought those lines were the way to impress or connect with a grownup.

It is a shame.

R said...

John---Thank you for your insight. I stupidly never thought of it that way. He did sort of say it in a mechanical fashion.

Interesting.

Suzy-Q said...

GAROSS!!

Maybe his dad put him up to it.

He needs some serious help. Kids these days are WAAAAAY more knowledgable about the ways of the world than my generation, and just think about our parents generation!

i think it is scary to be a teen in this present time.