Needing opinions on how to stop children growing up to quickly

I guess my first question is..are you a single parent? My next question is, have you had struggles at all finacially, with employment etc etc? If yes to either of those then theres part of your answer right there...Kids are very observant ppl and they absorb ALOT whether we know it or want to admit it or not....So if you have had trying times at all they'll have learned it from observing you..DON'T THINK though that its a bad thing..its not...far too many kids today DON'T realize that life ISNT handed to you on a platter and as long as you constantly remind them that being a child is what is needed and even encourage it by being childlike yourself at times with them...remind them of the fun of life etc etc etc and they'll be just fine... Also remember that kids today are pretty much FORCED to grow up too damn fast just by being a part of society..crappy but true....Just do a comparison of what school for them is like compared to when you were in that same grade ya know, the demands on the kids today is just sick and insane compared to 20-30 yrs ago......Just look at the news, read the paper and so on....Even if the kids dont sit and watch the news or read the paper like an adult would they are still exposed to it several times a day.. Remind them that kids are only kids once and the time to enjoy that is now...but also engage them in conversation when they do act seemingly above their age and see if you can figure out where it stems from...and DON'T IMO discourage their curiousity etc..talk to them about it..there is nothing wrong with wanting to grow up...When I was a little girl I was planning my job, marriage, how many kids I wanted and so on...its really no different if you think about it....We use to pretend drive in our family car, play house have pretend careers and so on...its natural...

What a good family you have.I guess you muat be very happy everyday.Yeah,the situation you said is very comine now.WE all have feel about it.I think the most important reason is thw mediam and the technolegy is developing quickly.

I looked over all the responses and I don't think anyone's asked if they watch a lot of tv and movies. Do they? The media makes children grow up so quickly! Because they'll become good consumers and make businesses prosper. They don't care if they don't have a childhood. If you can, take them for a long weekend camping--tent or cabin or borrow a vacation house of a friend with no tv, movies or radio. Enjoy each other, roast hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire, lie in the grass and look at the shapes of the clouds! Have some downtime. If you can't get out of town, go to a park--get out into nature where the media can't reach your children. My sons are 19 and 20 now and I managed to extend their childhoods till they were about 16, which is pretty good nowadays and considering their dad was a couch potato when he wasn't working 20 hours a day. Spend time with them, as much as you can and don't use tv as a crutch. Let them cook with you, teach them to garden, take them to an art museum and discuss what they see--you are the key, you have control so take it back! And feed them as organically as possible. Don't be a nut about it or anything but try to be careful about them getting extra hormones in their meats, especially chicken. Hormones in meats are making children mature way before their minds are ready. Go vegetarian as much as you can but be careful that they get enough protein and fat that children need, especially your little one. Fat is needed for nerves to make connections and be coated with the protection they need throughout life--without the fat, children can grow into dysfunctional messes and with too much it's the same result. Sorry if this was too long but it worked for me and my children while most of their friends have been raised by the tv, matured sexually way too early and are generally messed up by lack of parental involvement. I hope you find an answer and your children grow to be healthy and happy adults!

never stop reminding your kids that at their age they must enjoy like how children of their same age enjoy life. thinking about bills should be only for adults. tell them not to worry about the future. do something that may divert their attention by going to parks, anywhere else they could find enjoyment.. show them that you dont worry too much on bills, on what and how to drive. children of today has changed due to some circumstances. it may be because of the problems each and every countries encounter.. hope you get to remove the worries your children feels.

It is very difficult to make kids remember they are kids. Especially as the world they are growing up in is different to the world we grew up in. they are only worrying about the things they see around them, which are different to those we say. I would suggest you let them grow up in their environment as it is the one that will impact them and dedicate yourself to ensuring they are in a happy environment.

A gift from God!!...thats how I define a child...their innocense has the power to change the world! It is this innocense which helps them grow with age. In the more so materialistic world its difficult for us to keep thier carefree innocense intact. Here's what I do 1) Share my childhood habits with them...how i use to keep quiet for 5mins to get my favorite chocolate, watch tv in mute 2) Let them talk and you listen..no judgement passed as they are the boss 3) Let them have one day when they become mom and i am the child to follow all the rules set by them...its one of thier favorites :) Try these and let me know..I have a huge list to share :) Nothing has changed for the child its our surrounding and us who have changed..a child is as pure as water as innocent as fresh air :)... we pollute all of it. Its our responsibilty to maitain it...save it from being impure!

Children think about all sorts of things. My 8 year old son thinks about bills and things because he knows we struggle so I think it may just be that he is imitating my worry. It's good in a way that they understand so much but they just need to be reminded that they don't need to think about these things yet.

I have a boy who is 16 now, but when he was growing up he was always aware of my worry towards money, well lack of it, and how I worried about how I was going to pay for this or that and I think when they pick things up from you, then they become the same way. I think I was too open with my son, involving him with things that he shouldnt have had to worry about and so they tend to adopt a more adult approach quicker. But you are right, children grow up too fast, by the age of ten they are a lot more wordly than they should be, maybe we as adults push them along too fast with all the worries and bad things there are in the world, then with the media and magazines, that doesnt help either. Children dont seem to be children for very long anymore before they are wanting to be all grown up, its very sad. I dont know how you can stop it, just do your best to try and keep them as children for as long as you can, thats all we can all do.

hello there' my name is carly , i have put a discussion i mentioned a few days ago on this site about do people think am i to strict on my daughter. i have had a lot of respones on this subject about it but really im just like you i do not want my 9 year old daughter to grow up to early . so please look and find my discussion as im a single mother in my mid 20's with a 13 year old boy and my 9 year old daughter and a 4 year old autistic child .