One thing I truly believe we make more of a “thing” than it actually is in parenting is believing our kids can’t wait to grow up. Society has conditioned us to it, and so many of us parents — especially girl parents — assume our kids are done with toys by the time they’re 10, that they’re just itching for more independence and less time with us, and that as they grow, all they can think about is becoming an adult.
And that’s just not the case. (Thankfully!)
I firmly believe the world places too much emphasis on preparing kids for adulthood (instead of letting them enjoy their childhood), and a recent study from Girl Scouts of the USA finds that young girls might feel the same way.
Conducted by Wakefield Research with 1,000 U.S. girls ages 5 to 13, the study found that becoming a grown-up “sounds scary” to 54% of the girls. And it’s not just the youngest girls — the feeling actually increases with age.
41% of girls ages 5 to 7 feel scared about becoming a grown-up, jumping to 62% among ages 8 to 10, and staying high at 60% among ages 11 to 13.
I mean, who can blame them?
“This data confirms what we’ve long understood: girls are coming of age in a world that’s changing faster than ever, and they’re carrying the weight of that change while still trying to be kids,” said Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of GSUSA, in a press release. “That’s why it’s so important for girls to have supportive adults in their lives — like Girl Scout volunteers — who can help them navigate the world around them, build confidence and develop skills that stay with them as they grow.”
I think all of us worry about the fears and anxiety our kids have, especially in today’s world. And whether your kid joins Girl Scouts or not, it really is so important to have your children — both boys and girls — surrounded by people they can trust, people they feel safe to be themselves with, and people who inspire them. In the Girl Scouts of the USA study, 85% of the girls said they look up to others for what they can do (versus 15% who said they look up to others for how they look).
Girls may be more anxious about growing up than we thought they would be, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need safe boundaries to feel independent and grow. Girl Scouts of the USA recommends easy, low-risk ideas, like trying something new in a different setting and teaching real-world skills in a safe environment, to help girls gain confidence. So much of our fear is rooted in being afraid of the unknown, and by helping our girls feel empowered and ready for anything, maybe we can alleviate that a little bit.
But we’ll always remind them they have plenty of time to “grow up.” After all, some of us are still growing, too.
