When I first saw this, I laughed like crazy. Calvin is a cultural icon that speaks to the rebellious, devious, and (over)imaginative little kid in all of us. I was all set to broadcast my approval of this funny and post it to Buzz (sorry, I hate FB), when I had second thoughts. As an adult with children (one of whom is very close to having his name changed to Calvin, due to his uncanny resemblance), I have developed two different appreciations of Calvin.
On one hand, I love the free spirit and imagination of the natural born troublemaker. Calvin is fun. My kid is fun. On the other hand, I wonder "Why can't the little spaz do what his parents want JUST ONCE? Just once!" My wife and I have had our share of anguish about our kid's temper tantrums, inability to focus (read: sit still and be quiet), and attitude problems. We, like many other parents, considered medication. However, we are extremely fortunate to be able to spend a large amount of our time and energy to deal with outbursts and other inappropriate hyperactive behavior, and work with our child to bring his behavior into line without using drugs.
Of course, my wife and I at times have felt like WE were the ones who needed the drugs. We cried in our pediatrician's office just talking to her about it. However, even in the face of our little breakdown, she advised us against it, and said: keep doing what you're doing, it will turn out all right. * heavy sigh.*
We are also friends with or know plenty of people who do need to medicate their children, and we do not judge them for their choices. So, rushing to post this comic felt like a little bit of a betrayal. People without kids think it's funny to put down people who medicate their children, not having walked that proverbial mile in their shoes.
On the other hand, I do uphold the belief that parents should do everything they can, and more than they think they can, in order to avoid imposing an artificial limit on their childrens' personalities. Relatives might not understand, teachers might be frustrated, but it's too important to give your kid a chance to be themselves, and learn how to live within the rules on their own, even if it's hard for you as a parent. How can we preach to our kids that it's "OK to be yourself," and then turn around and take that away from them?
As I argue with myself (and mentally hear my readers arguing with me), I also realize that certain kids are not happy, out of control, and chemically unbalanced. Someone I know has a child who went on Ritalin at thirteen, after spending his life up to that point being held back and looked down on, who transformed into a confident, well-spoken teenager. He ended up in the armed forces, and is making a career out of it. She says now that he would never have had the opportunities he does now if he had struggled through without medication, and knowing him, I believe it.
My conclusion? There is no conclusion. We do what we do as parents every day to give our kids everything we can. We adapt, grow, sometimes just survive. Whatever gets you through, lets you sleep at night, and gives you a bit of hope for the future. Good luck.
