Dance With The Dragon to Play With the Princess

So, after a seriously amazing summer, Jason starts school again tomorrow. 10th Grade! I figure five more years to lay down the foundation that will last him the rest of his life. We’ve been through so many patterns, so many approaches dealing with his ADHD and anger outbursts.

My feeling is that considering his teenaged hormones are pumping full-blast, he’s maturing VERY nicely,. Best grades ever last semester, and a commitment to straight B’s this year. He reads fine, but still has a deep insecurity about reading in front of me. I understand such phobic response, and can let that go.

He might not play football this year — his buddy isn’t playing and Jason is deeply social, with a fairly narrow range of real friends (as opposed to “online friends”).

But he is interested in girls, and money, and power, and security, and status. I’ve seen those things. Of them, since physical security isn’t a huge issue (he knows he has foot and shelter, and feels strong and confident compared with the other kids his age) I think sex is the easiest motivator. That’s a “Great Mystery.” Not the physical stuff — anyone with access to the Internet can learn all about that. But all the implications of bonding and pregnancy and child rearing. My rule: you are ready for sex when you can support yourself and at least one other person.

Anyone who thinks we can divorce our sexual natures from the implications of child-rearing isn’t paying attention, IMO. The question he has to be…