Cultural Journal 1 - Children

As a child I was exposed to many horror films which many parents might not have found appropriate for their kids. In addition to classic horror film, my nephew has been watching South Park since he was 6, and although his parents are careful to contextualize it and make sure he knows not to go repeating some of what he hears, it would be easy for some to criticize their choice of viewing material. Likewise, my nephew has been exposed to casual profanity from an early age, but again has been taught that though it may be DONE, it isn’t necessarily ALLOWED.
Our house mother is a child minder, and the house is often full of children. One of them belongs to the girlfriend of one of her sons, and during our first dinner I was able to watch the interaction between the child, two of the sons, the mother, and our house mom. I hadn’t really thought much about it, but I suppose I expected something akin to what I see of American childrearing, perhaps a bit more conservative as we’re in a Catholic nation. The first chink in this notion was one of the sons smacking the child on the head, not very hard, but harder than I would have expected. This wasn’t done in anger, or as a punishment, it was a friendly and joking gesture which the child responded to be laughing and swinging his own tiny hands at his assailant. The child was given the middle finger, and returned it in kind. The word “fuck” was used conversationally (not by the child), and nobody thought twice about it. One of the sons pretended that he was going to pour water on the kid, and when the child noticed he was most insistent that it be done. So it was. Twice.
It was odd, but in a way very refreshing. We’re so lawsuit happy in America, I can’t imagine what a parent would think to see their child engaged in these kinds of behaviors, but the child’s mother was laughing as hard as anyone. The child was enjoying himself, and never once cried or protested about any of it, just took it in stride. It seems to me that when his contemporaries in America are threatening to sue their bullies in middle school, this kid will be taking it in stride and standing up for himself without relying on the legal system. I like that.