God has played a cosmic joke on me: last night at middle school orientation, my daughter announced she had signed up for the cheerleading squad.
That's right, my daughter is going to be a freaking cheerleader.
Now before anyone starts in on me about letting kids be themselves, etc, etc, etc, I want to make clear that I have in no way discouraged her from signing up for the cheerleading squad. I told her she should get involved in whatever interests her, but I must admit that I always imagined my daughter would be more like I was as a 6th grader: bookish, a bit geeky, interested in politics, a voracious reader...
She is none of those things. She is gorgeous, poised, highly social, totally apolitical, and and her favorite reading material is Teen Vogue and Tiger Beat magazine. And now she wants to be a cheerleader.
We do share a deep love of shoes, lipgloss, and horses, and I enjoy her company like no other girl on the planet. We are very close and I hope we stay that way. But gee are we ever different in some ways!
Cheerleading.
Sigh.
(I think I read somewhere that HipMama Superior ARIEL GORE'S daughter is a cheerleader. Need to ask Ariel about that...)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.
About Me
Blogs I Like to Read
- Amy's Very Cool Homeschooling Family
- Ann Douglas
- Blogging Baby
- David Rhoden
- Domestic Psychology
- First Impressionist
- Jonathan Hickman
- Lemuria Books
- Mamas Ink
- Marrit Ingman
- Martini Made
- Meagan Francis
- Mo's Journal
- Remembering Ward
- Suburban Turmoil
- The Vol Abroad
- This Woman's Work
- Women's Health News
- Zygote Daddy
Good Stuff on Being a Parent/Family Life
Books I"ve written/contributed to
Blog Archive
-
▼
2006
(1052)
-
▼
August
(76)
- dog problems
- more on banning "free" infant formula from hospitals
- interesting recruitment campaign
- the horror
- bono checkin' out the ladies
- the wedding reception playlist
- wedding license, redux
- makeup
- the neverending move
- wedding license
- wedding dress
- the creek house
- houseblogs
- soring tennessee walking horses
- race baiting on "survivor"
- work to do
- career gals
- the fun of living in a truly urban neighborhood
- billy crudup & claire danes
- shallow post o' the day
- inexplicably, endearingly entertaining
- wedding cake
- the fun mom
- the perfect bra
- jonbenet ramsey
- dogs
- closure
- mornings
- jon, jane and elliot
- ask the ayatollah
- no more 'free' infant formula in u.s. hospitals !!
- Jane is 11 today !!!!
- Jane & Syd
- cats and mice
- McLean Henry and Elliot on the porch
- also right across the street at our new house
- across the street
- our new house
- jane at 11
- jon and eleanor working together
- eleanor helps trim the hedges
- jon trims the hedges
- elliot explores the new house
- the living room at the new house - starting to get...
- the kitchen at the old house
- jon and duffy, our accidental third dog
- one foot in front of the other
- being married
- excellent news
- oh sheesh
- trendy
- beauty
- rah!
- help a kid
- K-Tel's breastfeeding greatest hits collection
- wedding details...details...
- rachel weisz makes postpartum women everywhere weep
- jane vs. the jellyfish on tybee island
- ...and the jellyfish won
- natalie maines on mel gibson ;-)
- mother talk/the ghost in the house
- no dixie chicks for knoxville
- wedding registries
- borrowing trouble
- moving ...sort of
- fire escape ladder?
- today is the day!
- some of the gazillion windows jon scraped and pain...
- dining room
- all hail jon...
- tybee addendum
- arguing
- the dress
- offensive
- more on the vacation
- tybee island was...
-
▼
August
(76)
15 comments:
Chin up. Many former cheer leaders have gone on to fame and glory. Trent Lott.
and GW Bush.
Spiney
Funny how lots of things in your life w/ kids seem to relate to my own life w/ kids. I was also bookish, political and totally un-fashionable at 11. My daughter, who's 4 1/2, bought lipgloss today for the first time, wants to do ballet, loves all things pink and would want to be a cheeleader if such things existed here. And she's been like that since I can remember, even though her first mass contact with kid's pop culture only happened an year ago when she went to preschool.
Marta
My condolences.
The whole point of extracurricular activities is that they are enriching, enjoyable, or both. It sounds like Jane just wants to try cheerleading for fun -- it doesn't mean she will subscribe to a lot of silly ideas about femininity or turn into a vapid bimbo or a Mean Girl.
Disclaimer: I was a varsity cheerleader in high school, but I was also interested in politics (volunteered in the Clinton-Gore campaign, even!), read voraciously, and earned a full academic scholarship to college. ;-)
I'm laughing out loud here....sorry, but I'm not seeing this ever happening in my life! My 12 year old daughter is much more radical than I am. I had to convince someone recently who wanted to know what kind of gift card she could give Hibi for her services (we were asked to sing at this woman's wedding) and she kept trying to say that she'd get her a Nordstrom card. I had to say it twice--first time, suggesting a Powell's card, and then again saying that she really is not a Nordstrom type of girl. I'm not sure what she'd do with a Nordstrom card. I'm sure I could find something to do with it but Hibi is no way going to buy anything from Nordstrom. Political? Absolutely, and much more passionate that I--if less reasonable than I. :-)
It can cause it's own types of problems, too....but at least I'm fairly sure I won't ever have a cheerleader on my hands.
Hilarious. Kids never cease to surprise parents by choosing the things most likely to drive them bananas.
I have to say, the idea of you with a "vapid bimbo/Mean Girl" daughter is utterly hilarious.
Didn't Gore's daughter also swing back more in the direction of her mother? I vaguely remember a piece her kid wrote for Hip Mother (I think) where she mentioned having come full circle, so to speak. I think she even has her own zine?
I'm honestly not sure I would allow a hypothetical daughter (I only have a son) to cheerlead. It would really depend on how the squad was run, and even if it was a radical feminist cheerleading team, I'd probably still be icked out by the idea.
Be careful about the physical side of it. Sometimes cheerleaders are doing things nowadays that are more suitable to gymnastics without proper training or supervision.
The social side I think will take care of itself. I too don't see your daughter becoming a 'mean girl.'
The experience that I have had with your little girl reveals her to be a charming and good-hearted kid. A pair of pom-poms won't change that! However, I gotta echo the sentiments of others who warn you of the other dreaded Southern Cheer-leading Moms. Lordy.
becky
I was confronted with this same issue last year when darling daughter #3 became one of those creatures. These cheerleaders were the ones who used to torment me as a kid and now my daughter is one of them. I only agreed to support her if she uses her cheerleading powers for good.
Katie, I know how you feel. My middle son just revealed that he's becoming a union organizer and labor agitator for food service folks in resort communities.
I always told my kids to take a stand for what they believed in, so I'm backing him all the way.
It does feel funny though...
Well, I guess you could send her to Webb. Isn't it funny how kids come up with the one thing you would never expect? I am sure she will not be the stereotypical mean cheerleader, at least in part because I don't think you would allow that. Good luck with the teen years. :)
I think its great. it would be even greater if she bottlefed by choice. THAT would be the ultimate cosmic comeuppance.
I don't think it's such a bad thing. Most of the monster moms of cheerleading had daughters that started in Pee Wee leagues when they were four. Your kid is in 6th grade and is doing it for the first time. She has had some life without cheerleading and so she has some perspective, even if she is only 11 or 12. If it ain't for her, she'll figure it out and move on. And if she likes it, find a way to support her because it's something that is hers.
At the middle school where I teach, I always watch out for the kids who make no effort to find their way and make connections within the school, whether it's through clubs, sports, being a library or office helper, or whatever. She'll find her way. As will you.
Post a Comment