"13 is the New 18"

Erma Bombeck was one of my favorite authors. Her humorous take on Motherhood was a reassuring voice when my own experiences with 4 children seemed daunting and I felt totally inept. Her observations helped an often overwhelmed young Mother realize, "Oh, it's just not me!"

I am always on the lookout for new voices in the Motherhood and Family department. New voices that offer insight and advice but in an entertaining way. That spoonful of sugar makes that insight and advice so much easier to swallow. Here's a good example.

"I wonder sometimes if there's something to the old superstition about the number thirteen. Maybe that superstition was originally created by the mothers of some tribe who noticed that in their children's thirteenth year, they suddenly became possessed by evil spirits."

Beth Harpaz is the talented author of (deep breath)- 13 Is the New 18, and Other things My Children Taught Me While I Was Having A Nervous Breakdown. Long title, really funny book. I contacted Ms. Harpaz and kindly gave me permission to share an excerpt.

ADOLESCENT BEAUTY

I try not to be outraged by what I perceive to be the unfair disappearance of the ugly-duckling stage of adolescence. (Unfair because I had to suffer through it, so why shouldn’t everyone?) It used to be that most kids were downright funny-looking until they were about sixteen. They had braces and pimples and little-kid haircuts, and they were so embarrassed by their height and their bumps and everything else that they slouched in an effort to hide.

But all of that is no more. Now orthodonture starts with nine-year-olds, before the teeth that need correcting have even finished growing in. I suppose there are sound dental theories behind this, but one of the results is that the "metal mouth" stage is already well behind them by the time they hit thirteen.

And maybe I'm imagining this, but it seems to me like most teenagers don't even have pimples any more. Do they all have personal dermatologists? Are they all getting facials? Or do they just know more about buying acne cream and cleansers than we did?

Not only that, but kids now all seem to have Perfect Posture. When I was a teenager, our mothers and aunts and grandmas were always yelling at us to stand up straight. But when was the last time you heard someone tell a kid to stand up straight? We slouched and dressed in lumps and layers and sacks of clothes because we didn't want anyone to see how awful we looked. As far as I can tell, teenagers these days have nothing to hide. Instead they are all about "LOOK AT ME!" They want the world to admire them.

And why shouldn't they? They look like movie stars, with fabulous smiles, fabulous clothes and fabulous hair. Sometimes when I see a group of adolescent girls hanging out somewhere I almost can't stand it. How did they get so perfect-looking?

Ms Harpaz shared her website. http://www.13isthenew18.com On the site are several excerpts from her delightful book, 13 is the New 18. It may of course be ordered from Amazon or found at your favorite bookstore. Enjoy. Chrissie