Becoming the "Hang Out" House
Becoming the Hang Out House By Lisa M. Hendey
What does it take to become the "hang out" house - the place
where teens choose to gather and spend their free time? I want
to know, out of selfish interest.
As son number one grows older and taller each day, I see before
my eyes his transition to independence, to a phase where his
time with his friends is becoming ever more important. I'm lucky
- he is a wonderful young man, devoted to his brother and
willing to spend time with Mom and Dad.
But I want to be prepared to entice him, and his buddies, to
know that our home is always open to them and that we want them
here. Even more than my selfish interest to know that he's safe
and secure, I enjoy my son and his friends.
Last night, the gang was over for another band practice. The
school talent show at the end of this month is quickly
approaching and they need to tweak their "act". They've been
practicing in the garage for the past few weeks, but our concern
for our neighbors' ears prompted us to move them inside last
night.
My hulking, and all to infrequently used, dining room furniture
was moved up against the wall. The room became home to three
guitars, a keyboard, a drum set, a sax and a rambunctious lead
singer. The walls reverberated with the classic rock song
they'll be performing. Max the Hamster and Matlock the cat ran
for cover, as did their owner, Son Number Two.
But me? I was happy to hear that noise, happy to feed them
burgers and hot dogs my husband Greg grilled up, and to watch
them devour a big package of store-bought cookies before dinner
had been served. Having them here is a pleasure - they smile,
offer polite thanks, and engage in civil conversations. They may
play loudly, but I've known most of them since kindergarten and
am thrilled to watch them develop into young men.
Becoming the "hang out" house is going to take some effort on
our part - negotiations are currently under way to transform my
dining room into a "music room" (with guitarist dad leading the
planning) and I'm going to need to keep a stock of frozen pizzas
and soft drinks on hand at all times. But that's a small price
to pay for the reward of watching my son become a young man
before my very eyes.
Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous
web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and
http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic
literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more
information.