PRESSURE ON 9-15 YEAR OLD MALE CHILDREN [VANITY--polishing a writing project]

Quix | 26 JUN 2005 | Quix

[Quix]

Am finalizing, polishing on a book project about PRESSURE that 9-15 year old male children experience, perceive themselves to experience. Would appreciate any experiences you or friends or extended family members have had in this ball park.

Am interested in SOURCES, CAUSES, ISSUES, CONTEXTS, of PRESSURE as well as complications, solutions, preventions etc.

I think I've fairly covered the waterfront but am assuming that that is unlikely in a thoroughly comprehensive way. Besides, there's so much wisdom amongst my loved-ones hereon, thought I'd risk a rare [for me] vanity and ask.

If you know of someone with a story to tell, or advice on the topic, please feel free to ping them or forward this.

My goal is to give such youth some perspectives and skills in handling such pressures.

A somewhat covert goal is to help some parents gain some perspective on the ways they load pressure onto such kids.

I want it to be easy and attractive for at least some kids in that age range to read--realizing that it's not a group overly given to reading. I also want it to be easy and attractive for granddads and dads to read to grandsons and sons.

Thanks.

Apologies for the vanity. Didn't know how to do it any better without such.

[Quix]

If you want to give input privately, please feel free to FREEPMAIL and even to ask for a private email. If I know of you at all, will likely give it to you.

[Quix]

Personal need ping.

[AVNevis]

I'm not sure what exactly you want, but Freepmail me some questions and I'll see what I can do for you.

I am a 15 year old male myself.

[kingu]

I hope you cover the anti-religious and pro-homosexual pressures that our children face. I can't count the number of times I've heard boys being put down for being a member of the Boy Scouts as being members of a homophobic religious cult.

[Quix]

THANKS KINGU!

Certainly I cover such things. We shall see how well. I'll redouble my assessment of those issues.

Ping to my other dear ones.

Would love personal updates on all of you--particularly:

giznort--how are you doing?

nw AZ granny--how's your body and the rest of you doing?

JustPiper--how are you doing?

nopardons--how's you and family doing?

[MikefromOhio]

hey there....

as a fairly athletic youth, I was faced with the pressures to try to make the Major Leagues when I was growing up in Pennsylvania in the mid 90's. The entire area was baseball crazy. Everyone wanted to be on that baseball team.

Of course kids being kids they would pick on you or whomever they perceived to be a threat. As one of the few lefties, I was able to get a look as a pitcher and as a 1st baseman. Some of those guys would be the 4th or 5th short stop at the tryouts and 2 of the guys in front of them would be either MLB draft picks or college signees.

Add to that, you could get a great dose of "Little League Dad", the guy who wants to live vicariously through his kids and victory is the only option. The area was full of them. Thankfully my parents were not.

I didn't really realize until I was 16 that you play to have fun and if good things happen, they happen and if they don't life goes on. That REALLY improved my outlook and how I played the game. I went from barely making the JV team my sophomore year (and then not playing due to a shoulder injury and moving to Ohio), to making Varsity on a killer team in Ohio and starting at 1st base or right field. When I graduated I had an opportunity to play in college, but I couldn't afford being a walk-on.


I hope this helps you somewhat for the viewpoint of some athletic children that are out there.

[Quix]

Greatly appreciated. Thanks tons.

Certainly that sort of thing is epidemic in our society, imho.

Great your parents were sane!

What helped it sink in most that life was too short to get too up-tight about such things--and that having fun could be a viable higher priority than busting a blood-vessel staring?

Thanks for the input.

[Quix]

Shameless bump

[MikefromOhio]

Probably the realization that no matter what I had done in Pennsylvania that moving to Ohio was in essence a fresh start.

that and I was entirely sick of the area I was living in in PA.

[Quix]

Sounds pretty reasonable to me!

Given so much 'too soon old; too late smart' in this life--learing is priceless at any age.

LUB

[grellis]

I thought you might be able to help out--I'm exhausted (pulled an all-nighter at work, waaaah!) and cannot think of any moms who might have a son in this age group.

[grellis]

I don't know how well it might do for source material, but have you looked for information from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization? Maybe a Boy Scout webpage? If nothing else, it could help with a little last-minute brainstorming.

I'm looking forward to the finished project as my own boys are fast approaching your target age. (Shameless plug--their pics are finally on my homepage.)

[Quix]

Thanks much to all.

[Quix]

Thanks.

Will let all know who have responded to this thread.

Haven't gone to those orgs. Love the scouts. Big Bros/Sis should be a great org but I hate their being Shanghaied by the homosexual lobby.

Not sure why I'm somewhat averse to the orgs. Perhaps am trying to emphasize more individual, personal stuff. Will think and pray on your suggestion. It's plenty reasonable.

Thanks much.

[JockoManning]

Quix, this sounds like an excellent project.

I actually do have a couple nephews in that age range and will give some thought to your query. Hopefully I will have some feedback for you.

May the Lord bless your efforts.

JM

[Tax-chick]

My oldest son is 11. I'm not sure quite what you're after, though. He's under pressure to get some schoolwork done so he won't have to be a telemarketer!

[Quix]

THANKS THANKS THANKS!

[Quix]

I'm not of the opinion that 0% pressure is ideal.

Challenges that are fitting and even very challenging are growthful.

Part of the issue is how to assess pressures as to fitting or unfitting as well as how to respond to whatever in fitting ways.

Any comments in the broad ball-park would be welcome and helpful.

THX.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for your post and for reaching our to the Freepers for project! I have virtually nothing to add from the perspective you seek, but I'm glad to ping the thread for you!

[Quix]

THANKS THANKS. No sweat.

Appreciate the ping.