I've often been most flummoxed by people who come to the conclusion that we "aren't letting {DD} have a childhood."
The reason that I'm never sure what to say to that one is that, well... in some ways she ISN'T her chronological age. Should we patronize her? Infantilize her? Clearly that carries its own price, most specifically in her self-esteem.
On the other hand, turn most people loose with my 13yo for a few afternoons and they forget completely that she IS only 13.
They start imposing 18-21yo expectations on her. WE are generally the ones who are putting the brakes on THAT kind of behavior and shielding her from it.
You know that you have one of those kids when you start hearing "Oh, you know... I just forget that she's not another adult when I get to talking with her" when your child is many years from even being an adolescent.
That's been one of our toughest and most relentless tasks in raising a PG child. WE aren't the ones trying to rob her of childhood-- the world at large seems to be dead set upon it, however.
