Lost in TranslationWhy parents struggle to understand their kids?
Close your eyes, it’s a Saturday night, you are sitting in your friend’s bedroom, listening to music, getting dressed for the big night out. You sip barely alcoholic beverages to appease your parents. Sound familiar to those of you now entering that middle phase of life? That was the 1980s, every boy thought he was John Travolta or Patrick Swayze, Intent on sweeping a Jennifer Grey off her feet.
Now think of today, do you hear your teenage children listening to technotronic in their bedroom before a night out. I thought not, more than likely it is the harsh sound of Grime or House music, who’s lyrics alike mention activities and experiences that keep parents awake at night. In your eyes sex, drugs and rock and roll will be the least of worries to your fearful minds.
So you wonder to yourself how has it changed, in what appears to you as a blink of an eye. No longer do kids go to discos over an evening with their mates back in bed by midnight. Instead they roam the streets, smoking cheap cigarettes and swilling cheap liquor. Or on occasion even worse they are at a vacant friend’s house whose unsuspecting parents living room has been turned into a soiree, where they are free from the eyes of the “feds” that may also prowl the streets.
For you the ‘D’ word keeps you up at night. You think you know the terms, you think you have been there, and know all there is to know. But in deception the ‘yutedem’ seem to thrive, you could search every nook and cranny of their bedrooms and not find a thing. The words you knew are gone, so are the drugs, in their search for delirium the drugs are stronger the dosage higher. So bear in mind, to your kids Grass isn’t only on the ground, snow doesn’t just fall from the sky and riding on a horse isn’t the only thing its good for.
Have you ever heard of ‘peak’, ‘big’ or ‘whack’? Of course you have but their meanings have been altered. To you it seems they do this to spite your gentle mature selves, but this is not the case. The colloquialism of a particular child isn’t determined by a parent or a location more by the culture they immerse themselves in, nowadays it is more than common to hear a young girl from Kensington to describe their day as ‘ bashy’ or ‘bait’. The phrase “it’s all Greek to me” Does not do this justice. However that is the nature of this changing language, in 20 years Maybe peak will just mean good.
Now even from my desk I can hear those grey hairs growing and that bead of sweat rolling down your forehead. So let me quell your grievances. This generation is already seeming more intelligent than us and is not stupid. They young and put under endless pressure. They are expected to Study for school, be active, have a part time job and a social life. So surely they can be allowed a little fun. The lifestyle they live is almost encouraged by their music, its far cry from club Tropicana, but now the drinks are not free. The drinks are safer than ever; the streets are safer than ever and so are the dreaded drugs. Keep your kids educated and they will find their own way. One final point, don’t try and use their language it will embarrass us greatly, wait is that such a bad thing?
lewiozz 