In my shoes- Middle school ‘Love’
February 16, 2017
Middle school is a time where kids think that they know everything about the world, and what was needed in a good relationship. I remember relationships lasting for a week or two, and how those involved were so in love with each other for those memorable days. Love was new, love was exciting, and in retrospect, love was ridiculous.
I can’t say that I never thought that I was in love during this awkward time, but looking back on these memories only makes me cringe. I laugh at how kids thought they were the modern day Romeo and Juliet, and acted like it was life or death if something didn’t go as planned.
My little sister is just entering this horrible “tween” stage, and I honestly feel for her. She is currently in sixth grade, and she’s had more drama in her first month of school than I have had in my past few years of high school.
She is obsessed with the idea of love, and she is constantly comparing herself to her friends in relationships. She’s only been in middle school for a few short months, and she’s already complaining about being single. I get that being single can often become a drag, but she’s eleven, and she didn’t even start liking boys until June of last year.
Although it’s funny to see little kids complain about being single, I think all of us were like that at some point. There’s a lot of pressure to fit in, yet today is worse than ever because of influences from social media.
In the past, thirteen years old was considered the beginning of the teenage years. In my opinion, social media has impacted the adolescence of our current generation, and in a way, has forced them to grow up faster.
My little sister is always watching makeup tutorials, nail painting snippets, and hairstyle transformations. All of these factors make her want to completely change herself, and over the past year, she barely resembles the same little kid she used to be. She’s always playing with makeup, and trying on clothes for which I think she’s too young. She’s only eleven, but she is trying too hard to be grown up.
Compared to her, I feel I must have been a bit of a late bloomer. But everything that she’s going through is so similar to what I’ve just gone through. I remember all of the petty fights between friends, and the strange feeling of transitioning to adulthood. She reminds me of myself back then, except she has me to help guide her in the right direction. Hopefully she won’t make as many stupid decisions as I did, and my stories of successes and failures can set an example for what she should and shouldn’t do. The best advice I can give to her is to just take a deep breath, and realize that this phase won’t last forever. She’s maturing into her next personality, or better phrased, her future self. She’ll probably change a million more times throughout her lifetime, but right now is a good time for her to decide who she wants to be.