Letting go....

I touched on this briefly in my last blog post, Choosing the Right Troop, about letting go. 

Dear Scout Masters, Ass't Scout Masters Patrol Leaders, and other, older boys.

My son is 11 yrs old.  He is just a baby. I can tell you everything about him.  He's sensitive, funny, creative, helpful, and a wonderful person.  Please love him like he is one of your own children, better than if he was one of your own kids(we are all nicer to the neighbors kids than our own, right)  Help him choose the right path, guide him, love him, nurture him.  Understand my position.... I am now being asked to hand him over to a group of strangers, men and boys a like.  I am being asked to let go...to just plain let go.  to drop him off at meetings and wave goodbye.  To not know what he is doing every second he is with you.  To leave it up to him to keep track of his things, his book, his requirements, his jacket!  Here is my son, please take good care of him.

YEAH RIGHT!  Ok.  To be honest, that is what you are going to be asked to do!  You go from knowing every inner working of your cub scout pack, to not even knowing the other boys names or *gasp* their parents! 

I will never forget when I took my son to his first troop meeting, (it is now called a troop, not a pack).  I stayed.  I was the only parent there not wearing a brown shirt with patches glued or stapled to it!  I was surround by a ton of boys, most of them taller than me, running around greeting each other, back slapping, belching, you know, being boys.  My son was so nervous....so was I!  Its always scary to go from an environment that you spent years being comfortable in, to one that you are sooooooo lost in! 

Good lord man! (directed towards my husband) what do you mean I am supposed to just drop him off and go.  Just last week, I had to remind him that we dont climb on tables at his last pack meeting.  Who is going to keep him in line now?  that doesn't quite sound right, but I think you know what I mean.  How am I supposed to make sure he behaves himself if I am not there!!??


Well, one thing I noticed, there are a lot of ASM's there.  That is Ass't Scout Masters.  I mean a lot.  There are also a lot of older boys there.  Yes, I know..slightly scary  *teenagers*.  But my point is, there are a lot of people there to help guide your son, my son, along the correct path.  To keep him from climbing up on tables!  To goof around at meetings, or during meetings I should say. 

Its about letting go.  That is what Boy Scouts is about.  Yes its also about learning a lot of great values and tying knots and making fires...but, for moms and their first born sons, its about letting go!  We can do it!  It will be hard...but it is necessary!  It is important..they are boys, soon to be men.  They must learn to stand up for themselves, keep track of their belongings, their feet and hands, and their mouths.  They will NEVER learn that if we are always around.

Dont get me wrong...I am involved.  Once a year, the moms join their sons on a camp out..and just last week, I found his shirt for him.  Now, my son (due to other circumstances)needs a little parental prodding to keep him moving towards his requirements.  But to be honest, I think all young boys do.  Its ok to prod a little, to remind about requirements, etc etc., but step back! 

Take a deep breath, and step back!  Your son will thank you for it and heck, once they hit 12-13, they dont want you around anyway :)

Next post, camping...what to bring, how to pack it and what to expect...  and if anyone finds a wallet made out of duct tape, please let me know..he left it at the last meeting and no one has found it(i think it got tossed by someone knowing it was a duct tape wallet)