From rough housing to name calling and everything in between, children showcase a spectrum of aggression. While it may be for fun, it can be downright vicious in certain circumstances. Babies start showing these behaviors around 8-12 months of age to express their frustrations; but it starts to diminish when they learn appropriate means to express and acquire their wants/needs. However, school-aged children can take it to another level.
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The new wave of kids born between 2010-2024 is known as Generation Alpha, slated to be the largest, most diverse, and digitally connected generation to date. While the tail end of this generations’ kids are just being born, their reputation precedes them. Remember last year when people were taking to social media about how “rude and disrespectful” this new generation is in Sephora, blaming their millennial parents for their behavior?
But HOLD ON, is Gen Alpha really as bad as they seem or have we become the “Sorry, Boomers” we made fun of in our youth? And is it the parenting or the societal norms that define a generation?
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“I’m sorry, but you need to make mom friends.”
Yes, that blunt statement came right out of my MIL’s mouth following the birth of my son. As abrupt as it was, I understood what she meant. At the time, my husband and I were one of the first in our friend group to have a child.
While friendships are generally an important aspect to our overall well-being (they are one of the most important things in fighting PPD), mom friends are truly unique. Friends with children similar in age to yours are easy to relate to. They can exchange suggestions without criticism or judgment, and support one another while navigating parenthood. As more of my friends became parents, the hardships and blessings also became much more relatable. We would have playdates, hang out, talk about the new ways of living, and do it all again another time.
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When we first enrolled my son in soccer, we wanted to introduce him to a sport with structure and rules. While it was all fun and games in the beginning (he really liked running around and playing with friends), the expectations shifted from just “having fun” to peers yelling, “Stoffel! Learn to kick the ball!”
By the end of his second season, he told me he didn’t like playing anymore. From people charging at him when he had the ball to multiple teammates screaming at him to pass the ball, the pressure was a bit more than he wanted to handle. That was fine by us. He’s now in his third year of baseball and has been enjoying it much better. The nature of the sport operates at a slower pace and each player must equally contribute both offensively and defensively, without multiple people in his face to make a play.
As our kids get more involved in youth sports, the expectations change. Aside from learning how to be a team player and to appropriately win/lose/enjoy the game, they are now also expected to practice on and off the field and remain on task for at least an hour (and that’s after a full-day of school). Some practices and games may be late afternoon or evening, interfering with daily dinner time and sleep schedules. And, it only gets later and longer as our kids age and advance their skills and commitment.
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I’m not gonna lie, completing this ADHD certification and writing these posts has driven me down a rabbit hole. “Do I have ADHD? Does my son have ADHD?”
While he is a 7-year-old, his past teachers have mentioned focus issues and recently, he’s been forgetting items to either take to school or bring back home. Is this something I need to be concerned about or is this just an age-appropriate phase?
For Patti, ADHD runs in her family. So even though she does not have a diagnosis, she has been on the lookout for flags since the beginning. You can imagine how these coffee chats have gone between us…
If you suspect your child’s inattention or impulsivity may be more than the norm, or you notice that it’s affecting parts of their daily routine, here’s what you can do.
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Child(ish) Advice 