What do you think of when you think of children? Games of tag, make believe, and hide-and-seek, perhaps? Or maybe kickball at recess? Whatever your preference is, it's bound to be innocent and a reflection about how you remember your childhood. What most of us imagine, however, is no longer reality. I heard a story today that inspired me to write this entry. A woman I know substitute teaches for elementary schools in our area. Last friday she was teaching a class of second graders (approximately 7 years old) when she intercepted what appeared to be a typical note. As most teachers do, she scolded the child who attempted to pass it and brought it back to her desk. She opened it, curiously, to read "I really like you and I want to have sex with you." There were more details in the note, but they were inappropriate to post. Suffice to say, the sub was shocked. She showed a teacher's aid and the aid's response was, "I believe it. She has older sisters." The sub, however, was nonplussed and disturbed that seven year olds were talking about this type of stuff. And I couldn't empathize with her more. I have a younger sister who is only eleven years old. When I was eleven I didn't know what sex was besides what I learned in our "maturity unit". My classmates and I weren't concerned with things like that. All we cared about was recess and picking teams for football or kickball. Girls (for the most part) weren't worrying about being girls. We were all just kids having a fun time. Our biggest fear was getting cooties. What happened to that? Why is it that when I go to an elementary school I see girls dressed in slutty outfits, straightened hair, and more make-up than I ever wear? Is it a result of the superficial pop culture? Is it because these kids are maturing at an even earlier age? Is it because kids are feeling the pressure to grow up too fast? I think it's a combination of all these factors. I believe that we need to remind children to just be children. We need to stop forcing children to grow up so young. We need to stop having so many "safety rules" for recess. Dodgeball, along with parachute games, is prohibited in many schools because it is a safety hazard. Aren't we overdoing it a little bit? Let the kids be kids. Let them play. Let them be innocent. Let them fear cooties. Let kissing be a giggle taboo. Let them live their childhood. After all, childhood is usually the part of life we all miss the most.