Kid Logic

“Xavier dared me to do it!” A 3rd -grade MYC Club member had stolen a teacher's glasses and had taken them to the bathroom, where they were stepped on and left broken on the floor. This was his excuse when we confronted him. He wasn't even angry with the teacher; it was all about a dare.

“You can't kick me out; I've been in Club longer than you!” This bit of twisted logic was from a teenage boy who was being suspended from Club for insubordination. In his mind, the fact that he had been involved at MYC for years prevented him from having to accept responsibility for his actions.

“My mama says if someone puts their hand on me, I have to hit them!” This classic was from a 2nd grade boy who had wanted to wrestle with one of our teenage volunteers. When the older boy playfully wrestled with him, the little boy slugged him with a fist. Yet he still asks our staff to spin him around or wrestle and refuses to see that we don't do this with him anymore because of his lack of self control.

We can come up with an excuse for anything. Lame attempts to deny responsibility for our choices began with, “The woman you made for me gave me the fruit,” and has continued through, “I inherited this bad economy!” and beyond. The “disappearing dads” of our single-parent kids give the kids excuses instead of support or protection. This refusal to accept responsibility is a major reason that the kids with whom we serve at MYC are at risk. The examples our kids see of blaming others instead of claiming ownership for actions come in a continuous stream from celebrities, government leaders, and even parents. Kid logic sounds funny in a story, but it is scary when so many adults who influence our kids never grow out of using it.